Story Starters

On By Terry ConnellyIn prompt, Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

If you’re stuck and can’t think of a way to begin, choose one of these:

  1. Describe a scene using the colors of the walls.
  2. Begin with a sound such as the coffee grinder or the ticking of a clock
  3. Have your character frustrated with a stovetop burner that suddenly quits working.
  4. Not everyone likes pets, but describing the nose prints a dog has left on the sliding glass door might be entertaining.
  5. Perhaps your character is fascinated by a scratch running down the wood paneling in a fancy business office.
  6. Or the crooked pictures hanging on a wall.

After you’ve chosen your beginning, write!

Have fun with this one.

Lines to Incorporate

On By Terry ConnellyIn prompt, Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

Here’s a writing challenge:

Choose one of these beginning lines to start your story:

  1. Every night I see you.
  2. Last week they rode the bus to…
  3. My husband and I lived…
  4. I am twenty…
  5. If I stood on the chair, I…

Begin writing. Somewhere inside of the story, you must include one of these lines:

  1. Oh, but look how dirty…
  2. Suspicion, doubt and jealousy…
  3. Luck’s nothing but chance, but…
  4. Stay with me until stars…
  5. Clouds built up over…

Have fun with this one!

Animal Antics

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            There are animal lovers and those who’d prefer they stay far away. There are creatures that make good pets and those that should remain in the wild. Taking into consideration your attitude toward animals, if your character feels as you do, what would happen if an animal suddenly appears in the story?

            Your task is to write a story in which, somewhere along the way, an animal plays a starring role. Imagine the villain rescuing a stray kitten. The hero sweeping down from the sky to pull a donkey out of a quagmire.

            Have fun with this one.

The Twist

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            Picture yourself on vacation, somewhere you’ve always wanted to see. You stand in line, with hundreds, waiting your turn to enter. You bought your ticket online. Planned everything, including how best to get there, where to stay, restaurants you’ve been dreaming of visiting.

            Something catches your eye. Something so tempting that you jump out of line and chase after it.

            Twists in storyline provide unexpected thrills. The reader is plodding along, following your character, perhaps even becoming a tad board because she is so predictable. When the cautious character follows a sketchy looking individual, or buys a thousand-dollar watch, or decides to jump out of a plane, readers read on, wanting to understand why the change.

            Your task is to write a story in which your character does something quite unusual and unpredictable.

Have fun with this one.

Lost and Not Found

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            Imagine what might happen if your character lost something important, such as a wallet, passport, or credit card. How would she react? What would she do?

            Would she search through her purse, possibly dumping the contents onto the floor of a store? Retrace her steps? Call a friend to come help?

            There are countless numbers of scenarios to play out!

            Your task is to write a story in which something is lost.

            Have fun with this one.

Antagonist Wins

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            Most writers understand that their protagonist must change in some way, perhaps in many ways, as the story progresses. Event cause affect, which leads to the character growing or changing as a result.

            A good antagonist also changes. Give this character a new skill, strength, or personality trait. Perhaps make it something positive, something that might alter the antagonist’s outlook on the world.

            What if a kidnapper gets kidnapped? Might that give her a new perspective? What if a bank robber gets robbed? Or a thief had her house burglarized?

            Your task is to write a story in which the antagonist changes, just as the protagonist does.

            Have fun with this one.

Divine Intervention

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            Very often unexpected things happen. It might be a check in the mail, a phone call, a visitor that dropped in. Depending upon the person, such things might bring great joy, or, they might be quite upsetting.

            Many don’t like surprises as they upset plans, while others ‘go with the flow’ and enjoy precious moments together.

            Your task is to write a story in which something unexpected occurs.

            Have fun with this one.

A Hurdle to Jump Over

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            Have you ever noticed that when things are finally running smoothly, something goes wrong?

            The car gets a flat. The washing machine overflows. A pipe bursts. A friendship self-destructs.

            How you handle it, how you react, says a lot about your character.

            The same is true for the people in your stories. When faced with difficulty, does your character run away or face it? Does he strike out with fist or walk away? Does she throw dishes against a wall or take a walk?

            Your task is to write a story in which and obstacle arises, something large enough to cause a degree of unrest.

            Have fun with this one.

Free the Monster!

On By Terry ConnellyIn prompt, Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

Oh, dear! Monsters are outside. They’re walking down my street. Stomping on cars and bikes. Breaking down walls. Wreaking havoc.

What do you do? Who do you call?

Your task is to write a story in which a city or village faces a threat…the kraken is loose! The ogre is stomping down Main Street! The toddlers are tearing down the backdrop!

Have fun with this one.