Tag: writing a story

True Feelings

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

            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.

Unexpected Action

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

            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.

Roadside Meal

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

            How many times have you been away from home and stopped to eat? What types of places do you normally choose? Fast food chains? Sit-down restaurants? Or something in between?

            When you scan the menu, do you have go-to preferences? Some go for hamburgers, while others choose salads. Some like sweet potato fries, eggs over-easy, chocolate cream pie.

            Your task is to write a story in which your character is traveling and stops for a meal. Depending upon the restaurant, she either reads from a menu board or from a handheld menu.

What does she order? Is it served cold or hot? How does it taste? From her reactions, you tell if it’s as she expected and whether or not she’s satisfied.

If there’s waitstaff, when someone checks in, your character responds by saying what she likes or doesn’t like, whether she’s satisfied or might like to order additional items.

To make it interesting, have someone strike up a conversation with your character. A little tension builds because this person is annoying or clinging and doesn’t take the hint that she’d like to eat alone.

Have fun with this one.

Geographical Features

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

            Geography is the study of places and the relationships with the people who live there. It looks at the physical properties of the Earth’s surface and how those elements affect impact life. It concerns itself with the how and why things are distributed or arranged in particular ways on Earth’s surface and it seeks to understand how things that are located in the same or distant places influence one another over time and why the people who live in them develop and change in particular, and sometimes unique ways.

Geographical features are naturally occurring such as the composition of soil, the height, width and breadth of mountains, the types of clouds that typically form over a given area, and the presence of natural bodies of water regardless of size or shape.

The geography of an area doesn’t just determine whether humans can live there, it also determines their lifestyles in terms of available food and the types of shelter needed to survive the climate patterns throughout seasons.

Because of the impact of geography, it can play a major role in story. A scene set in the mountains of Appalachia will be completely different than one the takes place on a southern California beach.

Your task is to write a scene in which geography affects how your character lives and the choices he makes. Sensory details will be key in establishing atmosphere. Remember to include dialogue, action and narrative.

Have fun with this one.