Tag: writer’s idea

Through a Child’s Eyes

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            Children often see the world very differently than adults. Fairies and make-believe are real. Monsters hide under the bed and magic can be both mystical and frightening.

            Animals talk, birds sing in the vernacular and even houses are imbued with spiritual factors.

            The reason so many children’s books feature the unknown is because authors tap into the child’s vision of the world, even though it often doesn’t reflect reality.

            Your task is to write a story in which the protagonist is a child. It might be easier to select a child who is old enough to verbalize those beliefs.

            Have fun with this one.

Maybe in This Time

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            There are several companies selling rides into space. The cost: $600,000! The spaceship goes way up high, high enough to allow the passengers to experience weightlessness, then it returns them to earth with a mighty splashdown.

            It isn’t exactly time travel, but if gives the illusion of traveling through space and time.

            Many novels have been published and movies produced that feature time travel. In most, the travelers meet people from other dimensions, usually in a somewhat peaceful manner.

As a teen, I enjoyed one such television show. Most interactions weren’t peaceful, and rightly so. Who wants invaders to fly in and take over their planet? Wouldn’t you fight back to restrict the plundering and destruction?

Your task is to write a story that involves some form of time travel. It can be kids using their imaginations, or pilots touching down in a different era.

Have fun with this one.

Utter Chaos

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            Imagine a chaotic event. Storm, revolution, economic disaster. How does it impact a given city? What happens to the people? How do the banks respond? Are there protests? Do organizers help rebuild? Search?

            There are so many possibilities, especially when you factor in the bizarre or weird. Consider zombies, vampires, vultures.

            Your task is to write a story in which the world dissolves into utter chaos.

            Have fun with this one.

Thankfulness

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Being thankful isn’t always easy. It requires a genuine awareness of the gifts in one’s life, of being capable of thinking about those gifts in an honest, open manner.

Imagine a character receiving an unusual gift, such as a wilted potted plant or an album recorded by the giver (who has a terrible singing voice). The character must feign thankfulness so as to not hurt the other’s feelings.

Your task is to write a story in which the protagonist exhibits thankfulness after receiving an unexpected gift.

Have fun with this one.

The Storyteller

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Everyone loves a good story. There’s something compelling about sitting in a circle, gathered around an energized speaker as she relates something that just happened, in a dramatic tone of voice. Better yet if she can give each character a unique voice, personality, and demeanor.

Children beg for scary ghost stories, then can’t sleep in the dark.

Movies hold viewers entranced as an axe-wielding overall-wearing murderer chases the protagonist through a graveyard.

Throughout time, storytellers have been cherished.

Your task is to write a story in which the protagonist is one of those great storytellers.

Have fun with this one.

Superpowers!

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            Everyone loves a superhero. She might fly over a dessert to save someone in distress, without being impacted by the severe heat. Perhaps he’ll dive deep into the ocean to rescue passengers from a capsized ship. The two of them, combined, can leap into a fiery building while, at the same time, calling up river water to douse the flames.

            Now imagine what will happen when each of them discovers a new power! What if she can make desert plants bloom, creating a source of food? What if he can soar under storm clouds to control the funnel clouds, moving them into empty spaces?

            Your task is to write a story in which your protagonist, a superhero, discovers a new talent. Make it something impactful, something that can be used to save lives.

            Have fun with this one.

Being Brave

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            Some people are naturally brave. They climb trees, strap on skates and speed down bumpy sidewalks all without an ounce of fear. Are they brave or foolhardy?

            Imagine your character participating in a frightening activity. How does she act?

            Your task is to write a story about a time when your character did something requiring bravery.

            Include emotional details.

            Have fun with this one.

A Time When You got Lost

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            Imagine that you are driving to an unfamiliar place. So far, everything has gone according to plan. The exit appeared when you expected it to, the street on which to turn showed up just as the directions said. But as soon as you made the turn, you realize this was not where you were supposed to be.

            You expected an office complex, but instead find yourself in an old part of town, where junk litters every yard and groups of young men laze about porch steps. A drunk stumbles down the street, weaving in and out of a row of old cars parked along the curb.

            You don’t know what went wrong.

            Your task is to write that story. Your readers will want to be with you, from when you happily left home until that feeling of being lost washes over you.

            Have fun with this one.

Illness Strikes

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            The sniffles might irritate you for a few days, perhaps even cause you to miss a day of work, but generally don’t keep your down for too long.

            More serious illness might even land you in the hospital for days on end. You get board being there, but realize it’s for the best. Until your stay gets extended over and over.

            Your task is to write a story in which your protagonist falls ill. Choose something long-lasting so as to provide necessary tension.

            Have fun with this one.

Weather Threat

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            Almost every day we hear or read a story about a damaging weather event. Recently there was a huge fire in the Los Angeles area that burned thousands of homes and business. There was flooding in a North Carlina community that wiped out roads and ravaged the environment of a once-beautiful tourist spot.

            Sometimes authors include weather in a story, but often as an aside. The sun was shining or it poured for days.

            Your task is to write a story in which a major weather event occurs, which alters the pace and direction of the story.

            Have fun with this one.