Write the story that begins: "We arrive barefoot, and leave shoeless..." photo: ebszabo
start in the middle
fire
In 150 words, write what is left after the destruction of all else. Begin here: "But now we are lit from within..." photo: Rob Wood, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
jumpstart love
Writing a compelling, visceral love scene can be the most daunting of challenges - how many times have you tried, without success, to evoke the eroticism, tension, suspense and thrill of first contact? The temptation is to make it too obvious, too easy. Or to fall into the trap of 'happily ever after'. We might … Continue reading jumpstart love
1-2-3-go
Open a story with a sentence that incorporates 1 an object, 2 an action, 3, an occupation set the story here: open 'in the middle' of things, in the moment immediately following a life-changing event.
start up
Everything before has led up to this moment. What has happened to bring us here, where will it lead? Writing Prompt: Open a story with a sentence that evokes the past and foreshadows the future. Incorporate the following: photo:Bill Jacobus
first trigger
Stories are made because something, in a moment, changes everything. This moment is the story trigger. Until this moment, life, no matter how dysfunctional, has gone on, and the character has maintained a balance, no matter how precarious. Though the trigger is significant, it needn't be a literal explosion. It might be as subtle as a strand … Continue reading first trigger
a suggestive opening
Opening with a suggestive setting description can be useful for setting the mood of a story. It can foreshadow what is to come, and the words that you choose will shape your reader’s perceptions of the characters and their relationships. Here is a story opening: By mid afternoon the sun will cook the air into … Continue reading a suggestive opening
making a scene
How to make a scene. Every story (and all its components) assumes a basic contract between the writer and the reader – readers want a world they can believe in, characters that matter, and stories that invite and compel them to care. It is up to the writer to provide all that and more. At … Continue reading making a scene
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