Tag: fiction

Body Switch

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

Sports fans are often in awe of the superstars of their favorite teams. They’d love to meet them, get their signatures, and if they are athletes themselves have half of their talent. Imagine being able to switch bodies, as in many movies, and be a superstar one for just one game?

Some of us are too old for such things, but might like a healthier body, one without excess weight and creaky joints. What if the change could be permanent? I’m not sure I’d like that: after all, I already know all the flaws of my body. All the previously broken bones and knee problems. My wrinkled face no longer terrifies me and I am now longer embarrassed by the ray hair and slightly stooped shoulders.

Taking it a million steps further, what if you resembled someone so closely that you could walk in the same shoes, wear the same clothes, speak the same language and assume the same roles? Would you do it?

Your task is to write a story in which two people switch places. It can be an accidental switch, such as one person stepping through a closing door as the other is stepping out. Or it can be an intentional switch in which one person searches for a look-alike, contacts that individual, and then the two of them agree to change places for a set period of time.

Have fun with this!

Weather Events

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Imagine a dense fog that obliterates your ability to see the house across the street. Or driving through the curtain of mist. How you’d need to use your windshield wipers to remove the moisture so you can see.

Keep in mind that many people live where it snows and have to shovel their driveways, brush snow off their windshields and drive on slippery roads.

Others live where there are tornadoes or hurricanes. Coming home from a shopping trip, their car might get swept away by roiling water or a limb might fall and crush the front end. A tornado might destroy houses and hurricanes might wash away miles of beach.

Your task is to reread a section of your story, looking for places where descriptions of weather could influence behavior, actions, and thoughts. Write in elements that show how your character reacts, what he thinks and how he feels.

Have fun with this one.

Opening Line Prompt

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Choose one of the following sentences to begin your story. You can change the name of the character, the setting, and the tense, but you must keep all else the same.

  1. Pete stepped toward the bow of the ship.
  2. A gray blob appeared on the horizon.
  3. Rain began to fall just as Sarah…”

Be sure to add at least one additional character, hopefully one that brings tension and discord. Add details to the setting, for example, what kind of ship is it, where is that blob and what was she doing before it began to rain.

Add sensory details to enrich the scene.

Bring in conflict caused by words or action.

Have fun with this one.

Early Morning Walk

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Imagine getting up before dawn, eating a quick breakfast, slipping into a warm jacket and heading out for a walk. You might hear the morning birds begin their calls, spot a cat slinking under a car, and pass neighbor’s heading to work. Day after day you walk, sometimes heading north, others south.

There are stories to tell. Why did the old couple move out? What happened to the two-story house that’s now surrounded by yellow tape? How did the single woman afford a high-end electric vehicle?

Your task is to write the story of your neighborhood. Choose one house to focus one, or several. Using your imagination, place a family inside. Give that family jobs, kids, friends, wishes.

You can write a rosy-story in which all things are wonderful, but a little tension is preferred. Perhaps a tree drops a limb, crushing that new EV. The tree sits on the neighbor’s property, and the car owner had been begging to get the tree trimmed before it caused damage.

Or maybe small children live in both homes, children who don’t always play nice.

There are tons of stories waiting to be told.

Have fun with this one.

Uninvited Guest

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            No one likes it when guests crash the party. Even if they are well-behaved, they might bring unwelcome baggage, causing conflict that will ruin the event.

            Try to recall a TV show with such a scenario. If it’s a comedy, then weird and hilarious things will happen, such as drinks being spilled or someone being pushed into the pool.

            If it’s a thriller or drama story, then there might be a murder, a theft, or threats to one and all.

            Your task is to write a story in which a guest(s) appears at an event without an invitation. Setting is important, but more so the emotions displayed by the host(s) are critical.

            The host might try to close the door, keeping that person out. Or she might let the person in, trying to avoid a scene.

            The guest should do something outrageous, like swill several bottles of beer or dump over the punch bowl. Maybe toss something on the BBQ that sets the canopy on fire.

            You want action followed by reaction.

            Have fun with this one.

Developing a New Character

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            It’s easy to reuse characters that we know and love. We’ve already established who they are, what they like and don’t like and the things they do. We’ve created friends, jobs, homes. And enemies as well as tension points.

            Your task is to create an entirely new character.

Do some online photo research by putting in age, skin color and gender. From that range of photos, choose one that seems the most likely to star in your next story.

Expand your search to include things they might wear, from top to bottom.

Add a quirk to their appearance. It might be a sprinkling of freckles or an entire constellation of them. Perhaps there’s a mustache turned up at the ends or maybe a hint of beard. Short hair, long, or none at all. Blonde, bleached blonde, tinted with blue or shaven completely off.

Choose height. Do you want your character to tower over others in an intimidating way or to be short and diminutive? Heavy or wiry? Muscular or flabby? Short neck or long? Wide square shoulders or droopy ones?

Next come up with about three likes and three dislikes. For example, hates bacon but loves rap music. Loves boots but hates the smell of coffee.

The more unusual the character, the more interesting the story will be.

Have fun with this one.

Chance Encounter

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            Some of us are outgoing and enjoy talking to complete strangers. We relish every opportunity to meet others, share stories and seek common ground.

Others of us find such meetings intimidating. We avert our eyes, turn our heads and walk quickly away.

What happens, however, when you run across someone you don’t know when you are alone in a situation that allows for no escape? For example, you’re hiking in a local park, enjoying the view, listening to the birds sing as you walk up and down hills. That is until someone you’ve never seen before comes up from behind or appears on the horizon?

There’s no place for you to go to avoid the individual. Think about what emotions you experience as you go over what limited options you have.

Your task is to write a story in which your character finds herself in such a situation. Begin by establishing the setting and her feelings about being there. Let readers walk along with her, seeing what she sees, hearing what she hears, smelling what she smells and feeling the dirt beneath her feet.

Suddenly the stranger appears. Readers want to know what she experiences at that moment in time.

Assume dialogue takes place. Who initiates it and what do they talk about? When it’s time to continue their separate journeys, how does she feel as the stranger leaves?

Have fun with this one.

Complete and Utter Chaos

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            There are times when anything that could possibly go wrong, does. It feels like the game when you stack dominoes with the intent of controlling their fall. But then your hand wiggles or someone’s knee jiggles the table or an earthquake hits and down they go, not when you intended, but do to some type of chaotic movement.

            Perhaps your car is due to a check-up. You make an appointment with the mechanic, but before you can get there, something horrible happens. Maybe your car breaks down in the middle of a busy major thoroughfare. Perhaps you get hit by a driver who wasn’t paying attention. Or it could be roadwork that causes a huge delay making you miss your time.

            Things happen, often in a bunch, that derail our activities. Some we can laugh off, but others cause a huge inconvenience.

            Your task is to write a story in which a series of unexpected things happen. How your character reacts will tell readers quite a bit about her personality. Make the events large or small, or a combination of both. Most importantly, allow readers to be there with the character.

            Include sensory details and emotional reactions.

            Have fun with this one.

Life’s Lessons

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            As we progress through life, we hopefully learn as we go along. For example, we might discover that it’s better to tell the truth than to fabricate a believable, consistent lie. It might be better if we don’t watch scary movies when home alone or go out in the dark without a good flashlight. When asked to babysit, don’t agree to it if you can’t stand being around kids, or if it’s those particular kids that you hate.

            If we hate seafood, perhaps we should admit that before agreeing to meet friends at a restaurant that only serves fish. Maybe we shouldn’t agree to go to a party where an obnoxious relative will hold court or promise to send a gift when we don’t know what the person would like.

            There are so many lessons that we learn along the way that it’s impossible to list them all.

            Your character will have learned things as well.

            Your task is to write a scene in which that character has to either admit to a mistake or learns something important about herself. The lesson can be small or large. It can change her life or not. It can cause hurt to herself or others.

            Make the setting in which she has to learn this lesson interesting. Include people that challenge her. Use a combination of dialogue and narrative.

            Have fun with this one.

Drive-by Religion

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            During times of stress, we might look for reassurance from our faith. But what happens when entering a church building is not possible? What do you do?

            Recently many faiths offered parking lot services, including blessings, confessions and communions. Drivers got in line, and when they neared the minister, expressed their need, received whatever they asked for, then drove away. It was an innovative way to reach people in times of extreme need.

            Your task is to write a scene in which someone enters the drive-by line and something untoward happens. It doesn’t have to affect your protagonist, but instead a person in line in front of him. Think of stories you’ve heard about someone paying the toll for drivers following along behind. Is it possible to ask for blessings for the next three cars in line? Might the driver reach out and touch the minister, pulling her inside the car? When the minister cries out, what does your character do?

            Think of all the possibilities of things that might happen. Choose the one that makes for the most interesting story.

            Have fun with this one.