Everyday Canvas

Monsters and Sudden Scary Things

DAY 2901--October 30, 2023

Prompt: Halloween Monsters
If you could create your very own monster, what would it look like? And/or do you know someone in real life that you could create as a monster in your writing?

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My very own monster would look exactly like me, especially when I see me in the mirror sometimes. As to creating a monster from someone I know, I can do that with just anybody, but I wouldn't tell them about it, would I!

This is because all people have darker aspects in their make-up. It is just human nature.

If I were to create a monster from someone, I would try to make it believable. I would try to go into the mind and motivations of my real-life inspiration, which just gave me an idea about someone I know who is so sensitive and touchy that she thinks the whole world is out to get her. She's even upset with someone else's success, and no, I'm not kidding. This happened during the last two months. Sometimes when she talks about such things that bother her, she's no better than Count Dracula or Frankenstein.

As such, even when the monster is twisted or acts to the extreme, its actions and motivations have a rational basis that has to do with the personal or societal factors. This way, I would avoid making the monster purely evil or purely good. Then, I would let the monster develop/evolve its character toward the better or the worst. Just imagine Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs!

Thus, I guess, I would humanize the monster by its backstory and giving it moments of vulnerability and internal conflicts, so the readers do not hate it totally but are intrigued by it. Also, I might use the monster as a symbol for deeper themes, such as unchecked power or erosion of morality, and I probably could use it to explore ethical dilemmas, such as in criminal justice, mental health, or societal responsibility.

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DAY 2902--October 31, 2023

Prompt: Sudden Scary Things
Which sudden things would scare you? A certain sound, a scream, the doorbell, finding yourself suddenly alone in a graveyard or in a tight place, a stuffed toy coming alive... or anything else?

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I am not scared easily but sometimes I'm startled suddenly or annoyed with loud noises like a car horns, sirens, fireworks, thunder, etc.

The sudden scary stuff is often used in horror movies and, I guess, video games. It's no wonder the way some people behaved, people who were into video games too much. The sudden, unexpected appearances of frightening or startling images or sounds could knock anyone off their sanity.

Another scary thing would be a sudden animal encounter and even worse hearing a wild animal in the thick of the night. Imagine a sudden lion's roar or a bat's cry in the dark when you're alone outside, say in the woods. Any kind of scream or cry, especially when it sounds like someone's in distress can be quite startling and unnerving, too.

Yet, fear is a subjective experience influenced by a person's past experiences, temperament, and context. As such, individual reactions to any sudden sound or appearances can vary and what one person finds scary, another may not.


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