Alrighty.
So--lately I've hit a stump with my writing. I simply haven't felt inspired and every time I take a stab at it, it simply falls to pieces and I get upset, and then need to eat some ice cream and snuggle up with a good movie to recover from my apparent failures--but, that is besides the point.
The point is, when I hit these creative 'slumps'. .I tend to turn to writing excercises to sort of re-vamp my creative flow (no punn intended).
That's when I came across this creative excercise:

"Draw your own world--a map--write names, places, think about the environment and the sort of people who would live there, what is the time-what is the place? Think about cultures, conflicting ideals and wars. Write it."

So. Having nothing much else better to do I whipped out my sketchbook and set to work. Three hours later I had a much more colorful and intricate map than I had expected. But you know what--it worked! When I began freestyling I began to see interesting characters and possible stories seemed to emerge.
So.
I decided to propose a challenge to anyone who is reading this, wants to and really has any time on their hands for some good ole fashion fun:

I will be submitting digitally edited portions of my original map complete with names of major settlements/cities/kingdoms, mountain ranges, lakes, rivers, major water ways. . .and to those who are up for the challenge--they can submit one shots: character descriptions, stories, descriptions, histories, drawings of indigenous people and etc. all based on a lucid drawing of an entirely made up land that you can, inturn, make your own!

Its a challenge to be given a name and an image and create something from it, which is why I think these excercises are so helpful to aspiring writers--especially in the science fiction/fantasy/paranormal realm.
So--if you feel up to it. . .I challenge YOU! And am excited to see what may turn up.

Thanks for reading!
~Vamp
(Forgive me of any grammatical errors, I'm sleepy ^^)