Please Be Prompt
73 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago -A Simpatico Production about the small inspirations needed to initiate the writing process. Co-hosts Joshua Witsaman & Ryan Rimmele present new pieces based on prompts they discover & discuss their writing processes & how each piece came to be.
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Episodes
S2E8 - Not A Joke
April 01, 2022 18:35 - 31 minutes - 17.8 MBThe Prompt: A witch smokes a cigarette in a lake. She is thinking about cathedrals. A swan is playing golf behind her. It might be April Fool's Day, but this is no joke - Please Be Prompt is back! Co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman return with a pair of poems based on the above prompt. The hosts also discuss how their processes differ when writing poetry versus prose.
Untitled by Ryan Rimmele
April 01, 2022 18:28It’s confusing isn’t it? When the sun rises and the sun sets When the moon and the stars remain in the sky When flowers bloom and leaves fall But it’s not confusing When a witch smokes a cigarette in a lake. When her thoughts of cathedrals drift as easy as the swan behind her Holding his driver in hand desperate for the golf ball he knows landed nearby It’s not confusing When a clock melts into a pool of radiant hues When a horse sprouts wings and asks...
Within A Lake by Joshua Witsaman
April 01, 2022 18:22Within a lake, new stones have been submerged. Stones which, until that day, had been stacked high as towers and walls. Looming, venerable, oppressive walls. But now they serve to provide stability, for her footsteps. Serenely she marches into the tarn In triumph, that daughter of Hecate strides the rippled mirror Where regal swans so recently floated. Such cygnids took flight, disturbed by assaults on ramparts nearby As coven, together found, new freedom. Sisters of the ...
S2E7 - The Basement I Grew Up In
December 10, 2021 11:30 - 1 hour - 54.8 MBThe Prompt: Write a story about a liar and include a time machine. Also use the sentence - "This means war" On this episode of the the show co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman welcome guest Daniel Kearsey! That means of course there will be a trio of stories based upon this prompt. The first deals with a post apocalyptic future and the slim hope for something better. The second deals with old friends who might be older than you realize. And the third tale of the episode deals wi...
The Inevitability of Gelbrax Dufrain by Joshua Witsaman
December 10, 2021 11:00Today was the day for Gelbrax Dufrain! At last he was being honored for the many achievements which he had achieved and the varied talents for which he was talented. He had trained his entire life for this moment. It hadn’t always been easy and it certainly hadn’t been quick, he was 157 years old after all, but at last he was here, standing within the capital halls of the intergalactic presidium itself! With his head held high Gelbrax ascended the staircase toward the grandstand. ...
Untitled by Daniel Kearsey
December 10, 2021 10:30The door to his apartment creaked as he closed it slowly behind him. Police sirens could be heard in the distance. They began to get louder and louder until suddenly they stopped. Feet walking through puddles approached. His heart began pounding. His palms were sweating. Three knocks on a door; next door. A sigh of relief expelled from his mouth. Let me tell you a little bit about Walter Harlem. For most of his life, Walter was an upstanding citizen. He was never in trouble with the law....
The Cardboard Time Machine by Ryan Rimmele
December 10, 2021 10:00Every Thursday evening Steven and his older brother Kyle’s mom goes to the neighbor’s house to play cards and “drink pop.” On these occasions the neighbor’s teenage daughter comes over to watch movies and drink pop. Steven and Kyle spend their time in the basement where the floor creates an ideal race track. After recently upgrading their refrigerator, the space under the stairs would become the perfect place for a time machine. “When should I go now?” asked Steven of...
Season 2 Prompt 5 by Ryan Rimmele
November 20, 2021 01:30Jason has been down on his luck since he was forcibly removed from his parent’s home some three years ago. “Down on his luck” is a phrase he has heard ad nauseum since, as if that day had just been a random act of unluck. WIth few options at his disposal and a growing desire to live with a roof over his head, he sets out each day in search of small jobs. Cleaning houses. Delivering parcels. Any job that will earn him enough money to eat that day. At his local corner store is a bu...
Prompt 5 by Ryan Rimmele
November 20, 2021 01:30Jason has been down on his luck since he was forcibly removed from his parent’s home some three years ago. “Down on his luck” is a phrase he has heard ad nauseum since, as if that day had just been a random act of unluck. WIth few options at his disposal and a growing desire to live with a roof over his head, he sets out each day in search of small jobs. Cleaning houses. Delivering parcels. Any job that will earn him enough money to eat that day. At his local corner store is a bu...
Prompt 5 by Joshua Witsaman
November 20, 2021 01:24The sweat was dripping down his face and into the corners of his eyes. He blinked furiously, but with the gun pressed against his temple he didn’t dare try to wipe the sweat away. He was nervous and hot. But the room itself didn’t seem any warmer, in fact he felt a cool breeze blow across his ankles. It was coming from the room’s only vent. The cold metal of the gun against his face contrasted his own rising temperature. But even that didn’t last, the metal quickly warmed as it rem...
Season 2 Prompt 5 by Joshua Witsaman
November 20, 2021 01:24The sweat was dripping down his face and into the corners of his eyes. He blinked furiously, but with the gun pressed against his temple he didn’t dare try to wipe the sweat away. He was nervous and hot. But the room itself didn’t seem any warmer, in fact he felt a cool breeze blow across his ankles. It was coming from the room’s only vent. The cold metal of the gun against his face contrasted his own rising temperature. But even that didn’t last, the metal quickly warmed as it rem...
S2E6 - Make the Bad Stuff Good
November 19, 2021 23:19 - 1 hour - 49.6 MBThe Prompt: The more dangerous a job is, the more it pays. You just took a job offer to stand in an empty room and do nothing for $100k an hour. Co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman present two tales of odd jobs that seemingly pay too well. The first is all fun and games, that is until the game isn't fun. The second story deals with having your empathy turned against you.
S2E5 - The Open Ended Question
October 29, 2021 10:30 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBThe Prompt: Write a story about an archaeologist and include a musical instrument. Use the line: "I can fix this." Bonus: There seems to be no one left on the planet. Co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman provide two stories based upon this particular prompt. The first is about a college class presentation gone wrong. The second is a parallel tale of two unlikely individuals meeting at an opportune time.
Chapter 12 - My Cursed Artifact by Joshua Witsaman
October 29, 2021 10:00That first Halloween party at college would prove to be a personal marker. My college career would go on to be filled with similar social pitfalls. At that time I was an effervescent mixture of confidence, inexperience, casual drug use, and pre-9/11 positivity, embarking on a degree program in English literature with a minor in anthropology – or as it is commonly referred to as The Upper-Middleclass Parent’s Rout – due to the fact that an entire 18 years of shepherding, guiding, saving, ...
A Collection of Broken Things by Ryan Rimmele
October 29, 2021 09:30The beginning of the end of the world was a Thursday, according to most surviving scholars of the time. Decades later, the last surviving member of the ruling species died and the world officially ended. It was a Tuesday. Sue was born during the first sunrise at the beginning of the end, she grew up as no one else did before her, and few did after. She knew only the ending of things. At a young age, she was taught to scavenge for anything that might help her survive. But Sue was ...
S2E4 - Appreciate Your Video Game Writers
October 15, 2021 20:30 - 1 hour - 37.5 MBThe Prompt: Write a 1000 word story in the crime genre. This is about a video game character and should include a single earring. Also use the sentence "Leave me alone!" Bonus: the story involves a fight. It's back to just Ryan and Joshua this week! The co-hosts have prepared two tales of video game violence and misdirection. First up is a story about playing video games so much it's like you're living in one. The second is about a character in a video game universe, just trying...
Your Saved Data Is Corrupted by Ryan Rimmele
October 15, 2021 20:27As the dust of battle settles around his feet, sweat drips from his nose onto the scorched earth. Blood runs down his forearm, through his fist clenching the hilt of his sword and lands into a puddle beneath him. His heavy breathing can be heard across the open field where the bodies of monsters lay in piles as far as the eye can see. Even though he is the only thing still standing, his muscles remain tight and his barrel chest heaves with anticipation of another wave. He stares down ...
Season 2 Prompt 3 by Joshua Witsaman
October 15, 2021 20:26The witnesses we interviewed stated the entire incident happened relatively quickly. None of them could tell me exactly how it started, or what exactly ended it. As I inspected the area it was clear a fight had taken place. More precisely, it had been a battle. The grass was blackened and charred in places, with what seemed to be electrical burns. There were also splashes of acid which had melted rocks and discolored the ground. I marked several areas which I wanted sampled for te...
S2E3 - Pros and Cons
September 24, 2021 12:36 - 1 hour - 49.6 MBThe Prompt: You own the best saloon for a hundred miles. You're no nonsense and good at your job: the saloon is clean, the barmaids are treated well, and the patrons are happy. But when an outlaw bursts in with guns blazing, your happy little saloon is at risk. A brawl breaks out, and you pull your own gun from behind the counter to get everyone to stop. The outlaw points their gun at you, and you balk. This isn't just any outlaw; this is the famed bank robber, wanted dead or alive b...
The Grave at Derleth Gulch by Joshua Witsaman
September 24, 2021 12:02It’s hard to imagine why anyone would go out west to hide. Bandits, murderers, and criminals of all kinds have been trying it for decades. But no matter how far they roam, sooner or later most of them get caught. The problem is many criminals share the same flaw, being incapable of laying low. They get twitchy. Overeager for that next job – that next big score. Men who commit crimes, and who succeed at getting away with them, already have an inflated sense of ego, so they tend to ...
Quiet by Audrey Worthington
September 24, 2021 12:01From the rafters, Clementine the cat surveys the mad scene. The dust is just beginning to settle. Half the tables in the place are overturned. Wine and liquor are leaking from barrels, dripping off tables, and commingling in the grooves of the floorboards. A final few shards of glass fall lazily from the frame of what used to be a mirror. Most of my patrons hightailed it out of here at the first sign of trouble; the handful that are left are scattered on the outskirts of the room, at varied ...
The Ballad of Gene and Bobby Joe by Ryan Rimmele
September 24, 2021 12:00For days they walked across hot sand With a pair of matching iron bands A parting gift from the Pinkerton Their past had set the scene Where they were headed nobody knows Where they wound up is why the story’s told A tale of broken hearts A death for one named Gene Gene and Bobby Joe were tied To one another like a steer and hide The bane of those who traveled west To escape a life of fear and stress Why they robbed and killed them folk It must have been for sho...
S2E2 - Default to Albert
September 11, 2021 02:11 - 58 minutes - 33.7 MBThe Prompt: Write a 900 word story in the children's genre. It's about a demon and should include weights. Also use the phrase 'Whoopsidaisies!' Bonus: Your character is hated by everyone. Well here it is folks! We have the first completed prompt for season 2! Two weeks have come and gone and co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman are ready to share what they've created. First up is a winding whimsical tale of children and demons which may or may not have an abrupt ending. N...
S2E1: Imprompuruptions
August 27, 2021 10:00 - 23 minutes - 13.6 MBWelcome back to Please Be Prompt! The podcast about writing, inspiration, and the journey through the process! It's season TWO! Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman return ready to write! On this premiere episode the co-hosts reintroduce the concept of the series and let you know what new aspects to expect from this second season. And of course we have what you've all been waiting for - the reveal of the first prompt of season two!
Bonus Episode: Book Club
April 09, 2021 10:00 - 48 minutes - 28 MBThe Prompt: Have a guest on the show and host a discussion about reading and what you're reading currently. On this BONUS episode of Please Be Prompt co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman welcome guest David Tavolier! David edits and produces the podcast and the three discuss some of the behind of the scenes of the show, reading versus hearing stories, and what they are reading currently.
Bonus Episode: Children's Programing
March 12, 2021 11:00 - 21 minutes - 12.4 MBThe Prompt: Pitch an idea for a children's television program - to actual children. On this BONUS episode of Please Be Prompt co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman create and present ideas for children's TV shows. Guests Lucy & Alice Witsaman, certified children and consumers of children's television programing, hear the pitches and share their thoughts.
Finale Prompt by Ryan Rimmele
January 29, 2021 14:37The funeral home was quiet. Everyone had gone home except for the widow and her young son. Just outside the funeral home’s backdoor was a concrete landing and ramp leading to a small parking lot. Nearby sat a wood picnic table, underneath, the widow’s son, James Roberts, played with his Batman action figure. It had been a rough year for James and his mother. His father went missing 7 months prior and the body was found just one week ago. Years of doing business with shady organizations...
Finale Prompt By Joshua Witsaman
January 29, 2021 14:36Thursday June 28th 2018 Pulling the key from my pocket I quickly and quietly unlocked the apartment door. Glancing over my shoulder I gave the man behind me a nod as he urged me on. I pulled the door open and held it for him as he entered. The other man was pushing a large wheeled suitcase ahead of him. After he was in I slunk in behind him. I shut the door and locked it before turning on the lights. The apartment was still swathed in caution tape with triangular police evidence ma...
Finale
January 29, 2021 14:27 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBThe Prompt: A story that involves both murder and time travel. What alternative time lines were created and what changes from time line A and what stays the same? It is the first season finale of Please Be Prompt! Co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman traverse time and space to present you with this pair of stories. The first is about a time traveler who seeks a favor and the unforeseen consequences of granting such a request. The second deals with self reflection and the uncer...
S1E12: Finale
January 29, 2021 14:27 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBThe Prompt: A story that involves both murder and time travel. What alternative time lines were created and what changes from time line A and what stays the same? It is the first season finale of Please Be Prompt! Co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman traverse time and space to present you with this pair of stories. The first is about a time traveler who seeks a favor and the unforeseen consequences of granting such a request. The second deals with self reflection and the uncer...
S1E11: Magical Rich Assholes
December 11, 2020 14:34 - 57 minutes - 33.2 MBThe Prompt: Wanting a fresh look you're lucky enough to get a makeover from a famous style guru. But after a few days you realize their magic goes beyond fantastic hair, clothes, and makeup. Co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman return for this seasons penultimate episode. They present two tales of life changing personal beautification. The first is a poem about a customer who seeks their outward appearance to match their inner self. The second deals with the acceptance of a ne...
Magical Rich Assholes
December 11, 2020 14:34 - 57 minutes - 33.2 MBThe Prompt: Wanting a fresh look you're lucky enough to get a makeover from a famous style guru. But after a few days you realize their magic goes beyond fantastic hair, clothes, and makeup. Co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman return for this seasons penultimate episode. They present two tales of life changing personal beautification. The first is a poem about a customer who seeks their outward appearance to match their inner self. The second deals with the acceptance of a ne...
Lycanthrope’s Lament by Joshua Witsaman
December 11, 2020 14:20In this lonely tragedy Happiness had fled from me. Yet, even I found a way But what a high price, I would pay. Transformation, I was seeking change. Those Grim Beauticians were fond of strange. I was only Human, that much I knew Whispered places, hidden signs Parlor rooms, wreathed in tinctured lines. She mirrored, made-up, combed, and dyed Matching outward as inside. Transformation, I was seeking change. Those Grim Beauticians were fond of strange. I ha...
Snapped by Ryan Rimmele
December 11, 2020 14:18I’ve just married into the royal family. Yes, it’s a bold way to begin a story but the lead up to the day wasn’t the exciting part. Make a Hallmark movie about it if you must. This story begins the day after my wedding during the customary hair cutting. You see, where I’m from it is a long-held tradition for members of the royal family to cut their hair after being sworn in. It’s a tradition going back centuries and is meant to represent your rising into the ranks of society. You she...
S1E10: Authenticity
November 27, 2020 15:22 - 1 hour - 49.7 MBThe Prompt: You live in a world where you can buy and sell bottled emotions. It is a government regulated industry, but illegal dealers and black markets run rampant. Some emotions are worth more than others. Co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman present two stories created from this prompt. The first deals with the perils of indulging heavily in certain emotions. The second is an emotion fueled romp through a dystopian wonderland.
Authenticity
November 27, 2020 15:22 - 1 hour - 49.7 MBThe Prompt: You live in a world where you can buy and sell bottled emotions. It is a government regulated industry, but illegal dealers and black markets run rampant. Some emotions are worth more than others. Co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman present two stories created from this prompt. The first deals with the perils of indulging heavily in certain emotions. The second is an emotion fueled romp through a dystopian wonderland.
What Does Sadness Smell Like? by Ryan Rimmele
November 27, 2020 15:22The pops and crunching of glass beneath Detective Benjamin Hath’s feet ring out through the silence of the room. Empty bottles litter the floor from wall to wall. A mirror ball effect dances along with the ceiling as he moves his flashlight from side to side - searching for the room’s inhabitants. The sickening sweet smell of Happiness lingers in the air -- it’s enough to make him sick to his stomach. Over his right shoulder, an empty bottle rolls out from a small cabinet. He swings a...
Welcome to Beth’s Emotopia by Joshua Witsaman
November 27, 2020 15:2070 years had passed since the Baselton Laser Wars™; sponsored by Baselton Lasers with help from a grant by Finnerty Health Insurance. During those dark and brutal days society had been brought to the brink of collapse. In the fallout of that bloody struggle the world has been inexorably changed. Nothing remained from ‘the old days.’ Everything was stricter now, the world seemed far less colorful, and even after so many decades the work of reestablishing normalcy has been a constant pro...
S1E9: What the Actual Prompt Was
November 13, 2020 11:30 - 1 hour - 36.6 MBThe Prompt: "Ladies and gentlemen, werewolves, vampires, and mermen - this is your captain speaking. Welcome aboard. Our flight to New Transylvania will take 18 years, 1 month, and 22 days." After hearing that announcement you knew too late that you were on the wrong flight. Returning for another discussion about the writing process co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman present two new stories about getting stuck on the wrong plane. The first deals with an idiot who bullies hi...
What the Actual Prompt Was
November 13, 2020 11:30 - 1 hour - 36.6 MBThe Prompt: "Ladies and gentlemen, werewolves, vampires, and mermen - this is your captain speaking. Welcome aboard. Our flight to New Transylvania will take 18 years, 1 month, and 22 days." After hearing that announcement you knew too late that you were on the wrong flight. Returning for another discussion about the writing process co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman present two new stories about getting stuck on the wrong plane. The first deals with an idiot who bullies hi...
New Year. New You. New Transylvania. By Ryan Rimmele
November 13, 2020 11:00“Ladies and Gentlemen, Werewolves, Vampires and Merfolk. This is your captain speaking. Welcome aboard. Our flight to New Transylvania will take 18 years, 1 month and 22 days.” “What?!” “We have now reached cruising velocity which means your flight attendants will be coming by to set up each of your cryo chambers. Please be patient as they assist your fellow passengers.” Emma is 35 years old. She works a steady job, owns a home and once each month turns into a monstrous cr...
Reginald Sterling and the Case of the Connecting Flight Cancelation By Joshua Witsaman
November 13, 2020 11:00It is midday and an otherwise quiet scene is suddenly disrupted by the echoes of hurried footsteps and raised voices. Moving at a frantic pace, two men sprint through the main thoroughfare of Iceland’s Reykjavik airport. One of the men is tall and lean with a boyish face. The other is bald, bearded, and slightly older; dressed in an extravagant yet antiquated beige suit. The bald man leads the charge through the airport as the younger fellow subserviently trails behind with their n...
The Fall of Abydos by Joshua Witsaman
October 30, 2020 13:52The Fall of Abydos By Joshua Witsaman My name is Bastian Boswell – however I am better known by other names; Imhotep the Deceiver, Menes the Unifier, but most often simply as Abydos. All of these aliases were given to me by my master, Osiris Omega. A name which itself is an alias. Though even I, his most trusted lieutenant, was never privileged with knowing his truest name. Osiris Omega is called a mad man by many, a villain by most, but to the select few of us who truly unde...
A Good Bad Guy by Ryan Rimmele
October 30, 2020 13:47A Good Bad Guy By Ryan Rimmele The world is on the brink of collapse. It’s leaders are dead. Wars are raging throughout every continent… You’re welcome by the way. It wasn’t even that difficult. All it takes is some quick research to figure out who should and should not have life. What people should be upset about is how easy that was to do. It was almost too easy. You just start small with a group of deranged yet loyal individuals and the next thing you know you’ve toppl...
S1E8: Bad Notes
October 30, 2020 13:46 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBThe Prompt: You are the greatest villain to have ever faced against the heroes. Your power is to heal others. On this episode co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman present two stories of villainous masterminds putting into action their evil machinations - with their healing touch. To start we have the tale of a truly villainous evil doer achieving their masterstroke in typical villain fashion. Next we have a climactic battle between heroes and villains which could mean death for...
Bad Notes
October 30, 2020 13:46 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBThe Prompt: You are the greatest villain to have ever faced against the heroes. Your power is to heal others. On this episode co-hosts Ryan Rimmele and Joshua Witsaman present two stories of villainous masterminds putting into action their evil machinations - with their healing touch. To start we have the tale of a truly villainous evil doer achieving their masterstroke in typical villain fashion. Next we have a climactic battle between heroes and villains which could mean death for...
A Day in the Death by Joshua Witsaman
October 16, 2020 10:00When the dead arrive from the earthly plane they show up as amorphous beings of pure energy, freshly freed from the constraints of their mortal forms. After a human is released from these corporeal prisons which they’ve grown so accustomed to, they can experience a prolonged period of shock and confusion. That is why a legion of the immortal ophanim stand watch at the gateway to the great beyond. The ophanim are ageless beings, often called angels, which await the arrival of the endles...
S1E7: An At-Home Service
October 16, 2020 10:00 - 59 minutes - 34.2 MBThe Prompt: For humans, heaven is a paradise. For angels it's just a customer service job that never, ever ends. Today is your first day on the job and you're already considering switching sides. On this 7th episode of Please Be Prompt, co-hosts Ryan Rimmele & Joshua Witsaman present dual tales dealing with heavenly affairs. As it turns out there seems to be trouble in paradise. The first story is about a brand new ophanim who finds themselves in over their head, if they actually ha...
A Resignation Letter to God by Ryan Rimmele
October 16, 2020 10:00Dear God, Please accept this letter as my formal notice of resignation from Heaven, effective immediately. “Are you writing your resignation letter…. Again?” Amaris sits at his desk. His typewriter in front of him, the very top of the paper rising from its top. His fingers hover just above the cold metallic keys. He’s staring at what he’s written as if by magic the typewriter will finish the letter for him, pat him on the back and tell him he’s making the right choice. His...
An At-Home Service
October 16, 2020 10:00 - 59 minutes - 34.2 MBThe Prompt: For humans, heaven is a paradise. For angels it's just a customer service job that never, ever ends. Today is your first day on the job and you're already considering switching sides. On this 7th episode of Please Be Prompt, co-hosts Ryan Rimmele & Joshua Witsaman present dual tales dealing with heavenly affairs. As it turns out there seems to be trouble in paradise. The first story is about a brand new ophanim who finds themselves in over their head, if they actually ha...