Tag: Results

Accepting Outcomes

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

            Picture yourself sitting by the phone waiting for a call. Perhaps you interviewed for a dream job or maybe you had a medical test done and are eagerly awaiting the results. Maybe you ran for a political office and now that the election is over, you want to know whether or not you won.

            The call comes. How do you react if you didn’t get the job or the results are negative or you didn’t get elected? Do you file a complaint? Demand a second opinion? Ask for a recount? Do you contact a news agency and share your beliefs that you were discriminated against in some way?

            How we receive bad news tells a lot about us. Some people shrug it off and move on while others drown themselves in a pity party. Some blame themselves while others blame everyone else.

            Your task is to write a story in which your protagonist does not get the news she had hoped for. Choose a situation that is easiest for you to write, perhaps something you’ve experienced yourself. Begin by establishing her desires, embedding readers in how important the outcome is to her.  Use a combination of narrative and dialogue to establish the scene.

            Have fun with this one.

Staying up Late

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

When I was in high school I obsessed over grades. I stayed up all night, many nights, reviewing material for tests and quizzes. Although I was exhausted the next day, I believed that the effort paid off.

In college I continued the behavior. Was I always mentally sharp? Probably not, but I was so anxious about not doing well and fearful of losing my scholarship, that I continued.

Think of a time that you stayed up. What was the reason? The outcome? Did you accomplish what you hoped to? Did you do it just once or many times?

Now think of the story you can tell.

Your task is to write a story in which your character stays up all night doing something. Remember that a story needs conflict and tension, so how are you going to include those? Could there be a near-accident? Lecture from a parent? Too sleep-deprived to walk across campus?

Make the details compelling enough so that your readers will want to read to the end.

Have fun with this one.