Tag: Relationships

Disaster of a Picnic

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

Picnics can be a whole lot of fun. Imagine a group of people gathered around the table eating food that different ones had prepared. Grandma’s potato salad is legendary. Jack’s terrific at the barbeque. Kathy makes to-die-for macaroni salad and Pat’s lemon meringue pies are a hit everywhere.

Board games are played. Cards come out. The younger kids play volleyball or kickball or go wade in the lake. Birds chirp. Dogs bark. Laughter surrounds you until something goes wrong.

As a writer these are the moments that enliven stories for they allow us to create situations where conflict and tension drive the plot forward.

Your task is to write a scene in which things begin to unravel. It could be that Joe pulls out a flask and taints the lemonade. Or perhaps the mayonnaise in the salads spoils in the hot sun. Perhaps a little one runs into a pole and…well, you get the idea.

Sensory details are important if you want your readers engaged.  They want to hear, see, taste, touch and smell the things going on around them as they participate in this picnic. Bring in dialogue as well so that readers can observe as the group unravels.

Have fun with this one.

Dance Party

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

Do you recall the first dance you attended? How old were you? Did you go with a date or with a group of friends? Where was the dance? Were you anxious or excited? Did everything go okay at the dance? If not, then that is the story you want to tell.

Imagine that at some time in their lives, our characters went to a dance during high school, college, or as adults with friends. Perhaps she didn’t want to go, but too much pressure was applied. She fussed over her outfit, hair and makeup. She complained all the way there. Once inside, what happened?

Your task is to write the story. It can be the first dance he attended or the most recent one. Choose a situation when some form of conflict would arise. The bigger the conflict, the more interesting the story becomes.

Details are important to establish setting. Think ambience. Decorations. Music. Food. Drink. Were there only people he knew or total strangers? Did someone get so drunk that they acted outlandishly?

Have fun with this one.

Scandalous Affair

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

The tabloids that sit near cash registers call readers with stories of extramarital affairs, terrestrial sightings and deformed bodies. To get the stories, paparazzi follow real people about trying to catch them in uncompromising positions and interview folks who have outlandish stories to tell. If the magazines didn’t sell, they wouldn’t be on the market.

Your task is to write the story of all fiction stories, the one based on gossip, lies and exaggerations. Your character should be well-known in your world. Perhaps she’s a TV reporter or the police chief of a large city. Maybe he just signed a billion dollar contract with a new sports club or bought a car dealership that sells hundreds of vehicles a week.

Think big, glamorous, exciting. Most likely your character is regularly seen on television and heard on the radio talk shows.

Because of her popularity rumors swirl about. Has she been seen with ______? Was he cuddling with _____? Did he really say that? Did she wear that? Are they a couple even though they are both married?

What happens needs to be enticing to readers. Drama and tension are critical to this genre. Employ dialogue and interactions with a variety of people. Terse words would stir some people’s juices. Love scenes will entice others.

This is your opportunity to be outrageous.

Have fun with this one.

 

Play Ball!

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

Baseball. Basketball. Volleyball. Tennis. Rugby. American football, soccer and futbol as it’s known everywhere else. Playing sports is something almost everyone does sometime in their life.

For most of us we learn the rules of the games in our physical education classes. If a parent follows sports, then we spend hours watching on television.

Some of us play on recreational teams that become quite competitive, while others only play pickup games at local fields and courts.

Games can become contentious. Players cheat to get ahead. They illegally trip or push opponents. They step over lines then argue that they didn’t. Players who fall become injured, and if not hurt, get angry and fight back. Tensions rise. In professional sports it’s not unusual to see entire teams rush onto the field.

Your task is to write a story in which sports plays a major role. Choose a sport that you know enough about in order to tell the story. Make sure you understand the causes of tension and use them to draw the reader in. Details are critical. Dialogue is required.

Have fun with this one.

A Twist on the Traditional Love Story

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

Movies, TV shows and books often feature love stories between two individuals who don’t like each other when they first meet, have several crusty encounters, begin to see the good in the other, then fall in love at the end. Predictable, yes, but satisfying to many or there wouldn’t be news ones popping up every day.

What happens if there isn’t love at the end? If the two go off in different directions, never to run across a sunny beach and fall into each other’s arms? Or what if it isn’t the wonderfully kind protagonist isn’t the one to find true love but the cantankerous store owner who treats everyone rudely?

Your task is to write a different kind of love story. First you must decide the angle of approach. The villain falls in love or the almost-couple never gets together. Next establish setting. Is this a fantasy, historical story or fictional account?

Create the characters by developing bios for each. Personality is more important than interests as the first makes the character likeable or not. Develop the story arc. What happens at the beginning, the middle, the end? At each step there must be an inciting incident that throws a curve or hinders the plot. And then decide how the story will end.

Sometimes we need to step away from the traditional in order to craft uniquely compelling stories.

Have fun with this one.

Fierce Desire

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Can you recall a time when you wanted something so badly that thinking about consumed your thoughts? It was something so special, so dear, so precious that you couldn’t imagine life without it. It might not have been expensive, but it would be worth millions to you.

Who did you tell about it? How did you describe it? What was the waiting like?

When you asked for it, what was the reaction? Did you hear snickers or laughter? Did you receive promises that were never kept? Or did you get the item?

How long did you have to wait? Was it months? For a special day?

Your task is to write a scene in which your character desperately wants something. It can be something small or something large. It can be relatively inexpensive or something that costs quite a bit.

Begin with the discovery of the item. Where did he see it? Why does he want it? How does he see his life changing with it?

This might be a difficult story to write because most of it will take place inside the character’s head. Dialogue will help, however. In fact, it might be good to have your character express desire to a number of different individuals so as to see how each reacts.

Have fun with this one.

Listening Skills

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

Some of us are truly great listeners. When someone speaks to us, we give undivided attention, make appropriate comments, and offer timely responses. We don’t interrupt and ask for clarification if needed. Our body language, usually leaning forward somewhat, signals our interest in what’s being said.

There are those of us who are terrible listeners. When someone speaks we are fiddling with our phones, shuffling papers, tapping our feet and fingers and thinking of ways to exit the situation. Our disinterest in what is being said is clearly telegraphed through our facial expressions and posture. We are impatient, wanting it to end so that we can present our take on the subject or terminate that discussion so as to bring forth one of our own.

Your characters have listening skills as well. How to present them in a story? There must be a situation in which listening takes place, such as a party, social gathering or workplace meeting. There must be dialogue and there must be physical reactions. Posture and behavior is critical. There must also be give and take, with your character saying something in response.

Your task is to write a scene in which your character displays listening skills appropriate to her personality. A domineering, bossy person might have extremely poor skills, while a quiet, thoughtful person might be excellent. It’s up to you.

Write an interesting scene. Reread looking to make sure that tension exists and that your character’s skills are clearly shown.

Have fun with this one.

The Big Proposal

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing prompt1 Comment

Do you recall the day that your significant other proposed? Where did it happen? How did you react? What did you tell others after it happened?

Some of us prefer quiet, gentle proposals while others want something huge and dramatic. Imagine the proposal on the jumbo-tron at a baseball game. What if you weren’t in love with that person? With thousands watching, if you decline, think of the resounding hiss!

Your task is to write the story that shows the scene played out, in glorious details, for your chosen protagonist. You can choose to write from the POV of the one doing the proposing or the one being asked. Readers will want to see it played out from inception of the idea to the end result.

One place to begin is by making a list of potential scenarios. Think from minimalistic to grandiose. Narrow it down to the one that you feel most comfortable writing, the one that best suits your character’s personality, the one that makes the most exciting scene.

Have fun with this one.

Hit Refresh

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing prompt1 Comment

Have you ever wanted to get a new start? Let’s say that a relationship that you’d like to develop began with you saying or doing something dumb. If you could get a do-over, what would change?

Think back to when you began your current career. If you could, would you go back and head in a different direction? If so, why? What choice would you make today?

Just as you might enjoy getting a fresh start, so will your protagonist.

Your task is to imagine a scene that went badly. Write it, in all its gory details. How does your character react to the choices she made? As she reflects, what plan of action does she come up with to change the trajectory of her poor decisions?

Write that as well. Readers will want to suffer with her as she analyzes what she did that’s upsetting and as she attempts to make things right. Details are crucial. Readers want to see her face turn red, hear the pace of her breathing change, feel her tears as she suffers.

When you are finished, reread looking for tension, conflict, reflection and change.

Have fun with this one.

Welcome Home

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

After being away from home, who greets you at the door? A child? Spouse? Beloved dog? Maybe a neighbor or a renter?

How does it make you feel to be loved so much that someone waits for your return?

Now think about your protagonist. Close your eyes and visualize who greets her.

Your task is to write that story. Your readers will want to see the details and feel her emotions. They yearn to experience what she’s going through, down to the smallest detail. For example, does the puppy pee on the floor? The cat rub her legs? The birds chirp loudly?

Perhaps not only happy things occur. Maybe someone left a message on the answering phone that a relative is gravely ill or has died. Or that they are coming for a surprise visit arriving in an hour. How does you character react to those bits of news?

Remember that all stories need conflict and tension, so while writing the happy arrival story include some piece of conflict.

Have fun with this one.