Tag: Relationships

True Feelings

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            Many times, people keep their true feelings hidden. It could be because the work environment isn’t conducive to sharing, or it might be that the individual has a difficult time opening up, especially if the relationship is a bit testy.

            Sometimes a person will ask what someone’s feelings are about a given matter. When this happens, the response depends upon the fabric of the relationship, the look in the asker’s eyes, the body position, and even the status of the relationship.

            For example, a boss might not really want to know how an employee feels, while a beloved friend is depending upon an honest response.

            Your task is to write a story in which the protagonist is placed in a situation in which they are asked to express their feelings.

            Have fun with this one.

Missing

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            When someone goes missing, we panic. We expected them to arrive at a certain time, but then they don’t. We pace the room, stare out the front window, call repeatedly.

As time passes, our level of anxiety rises. We try not to think the worse, that the individual was injured in some way, or got lost, or, in the worst-case scenario, was kidnapped.

When it’s an item that we lose, there’s a similar degree of anxiety, especially if we need it for an upcoming activity. We retrace our steps, pick up pieces of paper and clothing strewn about. We feel our blood pressure rising, heart beating rapidly, and our level of activity increase exponentially.

Your task is to write a story in which someone or something is missing. Make the person or item important enough that the protagonist is incredibly anxious.

Have fun with this one.

A Time When You Had no Voice

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            Many of our memories come from times that hurt us or made us cry. Not having the ability to speak your thoughts and feelings is an important one. Don’t think about a time when laryngitis stole your voice, but when someone chided you or told you to be quiet.

            The first time might have happened when you were quite young. For example, a teacher called on you to answer a question and then didn’t like your response.

            Maybe at home you said something that angered your parent and were severely disciplined.

            Your task is to write a story in which your character was silenced. You must evoke the emotions that arose so that the reader feels the pain, the hurt, the frustration, the anger.

Have fun with this one.

A Twist on the Traditional Love Story

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            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?

            Have fun with this one.

Unexpected Action

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            Your character lives in a rut: the same thing practically every day, at about the same time, with the same circle of friends. Then something changes, which is unexpected and not in character.

            The others in the story have no idea what’s going on. They don’t know what triggered the change.

            There’s a mystery that needs to be solved.

            Your task is to write a story in which your character does something so far out of character that no one understands what’s happening.

            Hae fun with this one.

Flight or Fight

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Tensions have been brewing for some time. Meetings are quite unpleasant, with members shouting over each other, ridiculing each other’s ideas, jealousy abounds and the boss does nothing. Instead, he sits back, with interlaced fingers resting on his ample stomach.

Your character has an important decision to make: stay and fight, loudly voicing her opinions, risking the wrath of coworkers and possibly the boss, or submitting a letter of resignation.

It could be a schoolyard confrontation. Your character is a mild-mannered child who is being bullied by a much larger classmate. At some point in time, your character has to decide whether to fight back in some way, such as reporting the abuse to an adult, or slinking away.

Your task is to write a story in which conflict is center point.

Have fun with this one.

Without a Trace

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            Imagine making a phone call one afternoon to a best-friend cousin. Since you were small, you’ve shared everything: food, stories, adventures, dreams. One day, you call him: the next, he calls you. And it’s been this way for over thirty years.

            But this day, even though you’ve called at four-thirty, the designated time when both of you are generally free, he doesn’t answer. You are frustrated, but decide to leave a voice message. Except that his box is full.

            That’s never, ever happened before.

            You can’t just hop in your car and drive to his apartment because you live in California and he lives in West Virginia.

            You don’t have numbers for any of his friends: in fact, you’ve never met them since you’ve never had the time to fly there.

            Your cousin seems to have disappeared, something completely unheard of.

            Your task is to write a story in which a character disappears. Begin by establishing the character’s normal day. What she does, where she goes, who her friends are.

            Readers need this so that the fact of the disappearance is shocking.

            Have fun with this one.

Running from the Devil

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            Almost everyone fears something. It might be spiders, ants, or heights. When confronted with our fears, we attempt to run away as if being plagued by the Devil.

            Our characters have flaws: in order to seem human, they can’t be all goodie-two-shoes or all serial killer zombie. The sweet little boy might love chopping up worms and spraying ants with hair gel, while the zombie might have a fondness for guinea pigs.

            Your task is to write a story in which a character’s fears are reveled while in a frightening situation.

            You’ll need at least one other character. This might be a good friend or a cranky store clerk. The two must interact, not just once, but frequently, with each meeting becoming more and more intense. Bring out the horror element.

            Have fun with this one.

An Old Acquaintance

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            Every now and then someone from our long-forgotten past reappears. It can be a pleasant surprise or one fraught with fear. In the first case, the two of you might go to a café, take a walk around a park, and then exchange contact information.

            In the second case, you might search for a way to disengage and escape.

            The stories about those events will be completely different: one filled with joy, the other with fright.

            Your task is to write a story in which someone from the past shows up, unexpectedly. Your character needs to show emotions appropriate to the scene you’ve chosen.

            Pepper the story with interesting dialogue, narrative and scene description.

Have fun with this one.

Life Change

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            As we grow, we change many things about ourselves. Some are superficial, such as trying out a new hairstyle, experimenting with makeup, buying a completely new style of clothing.

            Other changes are more serious, such as transferring from one college to another in order to switch majors, moving out of the family home, getting engaged, and finding the first full time job.

            Your task is to write a story in which your character is faced with her first major life decision, one that will lead to a huge change in their life.

            A lot depends upon the age of your protagonist. For example, a senior in high school is choosing between colleges or trade schools. During college, she might change majors once she realizes job employment possibilities are limited.

            Adults get married, separated, divorced. Switch jobs in order to climb the professional ladder.

            Some changes work out well, but many do not.

            Have fun with this one.