Tag: prompt about a dilemma

Awards Won

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            I was not one of those kids who won things. I never received a perfect attendance certificate or one for being on the honor roll (because I never had either!).

In the 1960s girls didn’t participate in sports, so I there were no participation ribbons for me. I didn’t play an instrument and wasn’t artistically gifted.

            I do remember the first time I did win something. I was ten. My family had gone to my father’s union picnic at which a BINGO game was held for kids.  I lost the first few games, which didn’t surprise me. I wanted to quit, but my parents made me keep playing.

An announcement was made that there would only be one last game. Numbers were called and very quickly my blocks filled up. Imagine the look on my face when I had a BINGO. I hesitantly raised my hand, convinced that I’d screwed up, but when an adult checked my game board, I had won. I was escorted to the front and was presented with a tiny piece of candy. It didn’t matter the prize. What stood out was that I had been declared a winner.

            Your character might have had a similar experience. Ribbons were earned, certificates were given, and promotions handed out. Or not.

            Your task is to write a story that involves some type of competition in which your character loses over and over. In time, though, what does she do? Keep playing or walk away.

            Setting is important so that the reader can “see” where the story takes place and enough dialogue that it’s apparent how the character feels about what’s happening.

            Have fun with this one.

Pursing One’s Dreams

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            When you ask a little kid what they want to be when they grow up, they might say fireman, policeman or teacher. Those are the most visible careers in a child’s eyes. As their world view expands, they will dream of being a professional athlete, actor, singer, musician, and in some cases, scientist.

            Many times something happens that interferes with those dreams and the child has to put them aside to work to support self and family.  The astronaut becomes a mechanic, the athlete a coach of her child’s soccer team, and the fireman becomes a sous chef.

            Society needs all those jobs, but the individual might still harbor dreams of creating a new vaccine, curing a specific type of cancer or designing a more powerful wind turbine.

            It’s important to hold onto dreams, to cherish the reasons that the job appealed to you, to still maybe want to do something in the field.

            Your task is to write a story in which pursuing a dream career plays a major role. Any genre is possible, ranging from Speculative Fiction, to memoir, to Romantic Comedy, to thriller.

            Have fun with this one.

Power Corrupts

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            Politics can be a dirty business. Those with money can “buy” lowered taxes and rulings that favor their business. Those without power are often either ignored or disregarded, their needs not important to those seeking influence. A politician will appeal to those without, promising all kinds a magical thinking, but once elected, serve only those with money.

            Lawyers are often demeaned for being “criminals” themselves, especially when they take on clients who consistently violate the laws. All this is done thanks to hefty payouts and the notoriety that defending such clients falls upon the law firm.

School administrators who are supposed to be there for students and staff, can fire teachers with very little cause, as long as it takes place before the teacher earns tenure. It doesn’t take much to rid oneself of staff who ask questions, challenge decisions, and speak up against what they believe are injustices. A few negative evaluations can destroy a teachers career, if the charges are serious enough.

Your task is to write a story in which power corrupts. The wanting of power, or seeking power, or utilizing power to get what your character wants must play a major role.

Have fun with this one.

Forgiveness

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            It’s not easy to forgive someone when they hurt you in some way. There are any number of potential offenses, such as stealing a boy/girlfriend, getting the promotion you felt was yours, wooing away what you thought were your friends.

            Family relationships fall into that category as well. The mom who seems to hate you, the sibling who physically hurts you, the aunt who gives your sister gifts but never a single thing to you.

            Your task is to write a story in which the act of forgiveness (or not) plays an important role.

            Depending upon the age of your protagonist, the act might be rather insignificant or life-altering. What hurts a child is vastly different than what pains an adult. In most cases.

Dialogue will be crucial in showing the reactions of the characters. Narrative helps to set the scene as well as increases the causes of tension.

Have fun with this one.

The Virtues of Hard Work

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            Most of us were told as children that hard work pays off. That when you “put your back into” a task, that you will be rewarded at the end.

            Slackers are made fun of, ridiculed, set up as examples of who not to be.

            Even so, we all probably know someone who didn’t put in the hard work during their school years, but ended up with a good paying job as an adult. They most likely started cleaning floors or washing dishes, then received promotion after promotion until they were the store manager or the sous chef in a fancy restaurant.

            Students are told that the path to success is through a college education, but the above scenarios show the opposite. A poor student can become a revered chef, while an excellent student might turn down lower-level jobs, waiting for the “perfect” one to appear.

            Your task is tow write a story in which hard work, or the lack thereof, plays an important role.

            Have fun with this one.

Love v. Hate

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            Romantic comedies tend to combine the love/hate relationship, with love, or the promise of love, winning at the end. This is true in both books and movies, which is why rom-com book sales are quite high.

            In real life, love is often on public display, with hand-holding, kissing, walking shoulder-to-shoulder. Much ado is made about engagements, with the families hosting huge parties. And the, shortly after, the wedding ceremony and reception.

            Lots of smiles, congratulations, and everyone basking in the love.

            Hate often takes place inside the home. That’s where angry words are tossed about. There can be objects thrown, slaps and beatings. Hate often spills out into public when one of the partners tells what’s happening.

            Your task is to write a story in which the love-hate relationship plays a key role.

            Have fun with this one.

Feeling Ashamed

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            Imagine standing at the front of your church to lead the congregation in song. You begin off-key, get a few notes right, then go off-key again. You feel your cheeks getting hot. Respiration increases. Your pulse quickens as time seems to stand still. When you reach the last word, you make a fast exit.

            Perhaps you stole something from a friend’s bedroom. She owned a porcelain statue of a horse, when you know she hates horses. Is terrified of horses. She slips it in your pocket while she’s rifling through her closet.  A few days later she asks if you saw it, perhaps even took it, but you deny, deny, deny.

            Shame hits everyone at some time in their life. It can range from a deep reaction to a slight embarrassment.

            Your task is to write a story in which shame plays a major role.

            First decide your audience. Children react differently than adults. Children’s offenses are generally smaller in significance than something an adult might do.

            Setting is crucial, so establish it right at the beginning.

            Have fun with this one.

Seeking Justice

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            Justice is one of those virtues that society is built upon. Working toward establishing what’s right, holding people accountable, and punishing those who violate the dictates of society is based upon what is just, what is right.

            Who decides the rules? What makes one act just but another not?

            Your task is to write a story in which justice plays a central role. Your protagonist might be the one seeking justice for an act committed against him, or he might be the one sitting in a courtroom being held accountable for something he did to another.

            The offense might be small, such as stealing gym clothes out of a locker, or large such as robbing a bank. What’s important is that the act is believable based upon the age of your character.

            Have fun with this one.

Revenge

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            Little kids are excellent at exacting revenge. You touch my truck/doll and I’ll smack your face. You steal my comic book, I’ll shred your favorite t-shirt.

            As we grow, we’re taught that revenge is bad: that we are to forgive and forget. But do we really?

            What do we do about the guest who breaks your favorite goblet? Was it accidental or intentional? Does that determine how we react, how long we hold a grudge? If we believe it was intentional, what do we do to exact revenge? To even the scales?

            Your task is to write a story in which revenge is a central theme. Choose your characters wisely. They need to be able to do something devious, something that irks the other to the point of seeking revenge.

            You also need to decide what the offense is, what the act of revenge involves.

            Have fun with this one.

Awards Ceremony

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            Who doesn’t love an awards ceremony? Think of the drinks, the food, the comradery. The banners hanging from the ceiling, the cheerful atmosphere, the tension due to anticipation.

            The fancy clothes, the milling about, interacting with a variety of people, some known, some soon to become new friends.

            Your task is to write a story in which your character is invited to go to an awards ceremony as the guest of someone who may or may not get an award, thanks to the support of your character.

            Set the scene, filling it with anticipation, excitement, glory. Assuming that the characters are friends, what happens once they walk through the doors? Do they stay together? Does the potential recipient abandon his friend? When the awards are announced, what happens if he wins? Or doesn’t win?

            Have fun with this one.