Tag: writing about an event

Divine Act

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

            Sometimes unexpected things happen. For no rhyme or reason, a gift arrives in the mail, no sender’s name included. Or perhaps your character is demoted and no explanation is offered.

            Perhaps it’s something uncontrollable, such as a major storm that shuts down the highway you intended to take, or it takes down a series of power poles in your neighborhood, robbing you of power.

            Are these occurrences some form of a divine act? Or are there other, logical explanations?

            Your task is to write a story in which something completely unexpected happens that borders on the bizarre. It needs to be impactful enough that your protagonist’s life is altered in a major way.

            Have fun with this one.

Murder or Accidental Death?

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

            Everyone loves a good thriller. Something nefarious happens in the first chapter, then the chase begins to find the perpetrator.

            In most cases, a body is discovered, in a bedroom, barroom, lying in the street or even hanging in the garage. Was it murder or an accident?

            Your protagonist sets off to solve the case.

            In cozy mysteries, the protagonist isn’t a detective, but rather an ordinary person with an inclination for intrigue. She could be a dentist, doctor, baker, contractor, just about any profession. The main requirement is the ability to doggedly pursue the chase.

            Your task is to write a story in which a body is found and then the case must be solved.

            Have fun with this one.

The Storm

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

Imagine that it is raining. Not a soft, gentle rain, but a downpour that pounds against the windows and rivers and streams overflow their banks, flooding streets.

Many of us like to stay indoors on rainy days, perhaps sitting by the window, watching it happen. We might see leaves torn from trees due to high winds, branches that bend, almost touching the ground.

If we’re sitting inside a warm café, we might see people dashing about with newspapers over their heads as they scurry from the shelter of one building to the next.

All these sights can lead to an interesting story.

Your task is to write the story in which terrible things happen. Think of the news that you’ve seen on television. The devastation, the destroyed homes. Cars carried downstream or stranded in feet of water. Lives lost.

Write from your character’s point of view. Readers will want to experience the storm through your character’s eyes, seeing everything she sees, knowing what goes through her mind, especially when she is forced to evacuate. Have us walk with her as she decides what to save and what to leave behind.

Have fun  with this one.

The Grab Bag

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

            Many times events such as carnivals and fund-raising events sell tickets for an opportunity to stick your hand in a bag and pull out a prize. Imagine what emotions your character will experience contemplating putting their hand inside a closed-off bag or box.

            He might be a bit scared, wondering if he’ll touch something slimy or gooey. Or he might be in for the fun, no worries, no concerns.

            Perhaps he’s got a few friends watching. Imagine what they’d say, how he’d react. Is he the kind who accepts friendly ribbing or would he get angry?

            When his fingers touch whatever is there, what reactions does he have? Does he make a face or laugh? Retract his hand without taking anything?

            Your task is to write the story of the grab bag.

            Establish scene and circumstances through a few descriptions of setting. Identify major characters though one of two details at most. Let there be dialogue.

            Have fun with this one.

Startling Sounds

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

            Picture yourself sitting before the television, engrossed in your favorite show. A loud boom shakes your house, rattling the windows and causing your heart to seem to skip a beat. You consider investigating, but when no sirens sound, no knock comes to your door, you shrug it off.

            Now imagine that the sound, that boom, caused things to fall off shelves, your floor to rock and roll, and sets off car alarms up and down your street. What do you do now?

            Your task is to write a story in which a sound or sounds plays a major role. First identify the source of the sound, then the effects of the cause dependent upon how close your protagonist it to the source.

            Take into consideration the reactions of your character. Some people startle easily and once shaken, take a long time to recover. Others are curious, might investigate, then do some online research to see if any reports have come in. Still others will do nothing, not wanting to get involved.

            Choose a reaction that will interest readers the most. Tension is critical, so include dialogue as a mode to illustrate what and why your character acts.

            Have fun with this one.

Uninvited Guest

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

            No one likes it when guests crash the party. Even if they are well-behaved, they might bring unwelcome baggage, causing conflict that will ruin the event.

            Try to recall a TV show with such a scenario. If it’s a comedy, then weird and hilarious things will happen, such as drinks being spilled or someone being pushed into the pool.

            If it’s a thriller or drama story, then there might be a murder, a theft, or threats to one and all.

            Your task is to write a story in which a guest(s) appears at an event without an invitation. Setting is important, but more so the emotions displayed by the host(s) are critical.

            The host might try to close the door, keeping that person out. Or she might let the person in, trying to avoid a scene.

            The guest should do something outrageous, like swill several bottles of beer or dump over the punch bowl. Maybe toss something on the BBQ that sets the canopy on fire.

            You want action followed by reaction.

            Have fun with this one.

Press Release

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

            Something interesting happened just as your character walked in the door. Perhaps a move star tripped over a wrinkled edge of a rug. Maybe a politician kissed a woman, not his wife, in an extremely romantic way. It could be a car accident outside the doors that nearly killed a popular older woman or the elevator that got stuck between floors trapping inside a small boy who’d accidentally strolled inside.

            Because your character is a budding journalist, she seizes the opportunity to write up a press release and deliver it to the local paper’s office. On top of that, she’d had her phone out and managed a few good shots, plus a short video, which she takes to the small TV station in the next town.

            Your task is to write a story in which your protagonist is the one who caught the story. Write up the press release and have her try to get it published somewhere, anywhere.

            As writers, we understand rejection. Perhaps your character doesn’t because everything she wrote for her high school paper got printed.

            You might include her interviews of witnesses, showing the give-and-take as she struggles to get valuable information.

            Have fun with this one.

Anticipation

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

Your birthday is coming up and you’re aware that a party has been planned. You think you know who’s coming, you wonder if Jesse, a childhood nemesis, will have the audacity to appear.

Anew job opportunity has opened up and if you’re offered the position, it means more money and responsibility, but you’ve got to ace the interview.

There are many events that arise in our lives that cause angst. The anticipation alone makes us sweat, interferes with sleep, and causes our hands to tremble. We rehash possible negative outcomes, analyzing each reaction that we might have.

Anticipation is a complex emotion. It is a feeling of excitement about something that is going to happen in the near future that leads to restlessness, difficulty focusing, a sense of uneasiness, and an attempt at avoiding participation in the event. In story form, anticipation can trigger scenes of tension and conflict between characters that alter familial relationships and ruin friendships.

Your task is to write a story in which anticipation plays a major role. Choose a scene in which emotions run high, affecting how the character thinks, acts, speaks. Include narrative and dialogue so that readers can see how anticipating the event influences the story arc.

Have fun with this one.

Reality Show Mishap

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

If you’ve ever watched one of the many reality shows on television, you know that despite careful planning not everything runs smoothly. Participants might use words that have to be deleted. They might remove sufficient articles of clothing that the censors would shut down the show.

While you might not have ever appeared as a contestant on a reality show, events in your life might have emitted the same feelings that contestants experience. When you were in elementary school did your teacher hold spelling bees? Did you audition for a play or for a chair in an orchestra? Was there a time when you submitted an application for a competitive position in a company?

All of these scenarios could become fodder for a story.

Your task is to write a story in which your character participates in some type of reality show type of competition. Begin by setting the scene. Does your character apply through a written format or by submitting a video? How does she react when she is accepted?

Does the show take place in a studio or on a remote island? Does it involve stunts that could cause harm or is it an intellectual pursuit?

As the story develops some type of tragedy takes place. It could be a broken hell or a shattered bone, but the most important thing is that it alters, in some profound way, the subsequent events in the story.

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.