Writing Prompt #156: Understanding Unexpected

You know that cliche scene where the character has something really important they're trying to say but no one understands them and it spirals downwards in a horror of misunderstanding and frustration?

I want you to write the opposite of that. Your character is incoherent and confusing and inarticulate and someone understands. Pick the most unlikely character to understand them. Now, why do they get it, and how will they help your character now that they understand?

Writing Prompt #155: Making Rules

When something happens that has never happened before, a lot of times there aren't rules to fall back on. You don't have a clear idea of limits or guidelines or what is expected. This can be fun, but sometimes it's just dangerous. There are situations where you need a really firm idea ahead of time of what you need to do and where things have to stop.

Have characters lay down guidelines ahead of time for an event. This can be having a friend over or dealing with an enemy or a first kiss. Conflict and unsurety are a must. Make your characters to define where they stand and what they won't compromise on.

When you don't know where you're standing and why, it's really easy to be moved.

Writing Prompt #154: Break a Rule

Two people have a rule they follow with each other. It can be formal or informal. Make one of them break it.

Ideas:

No apologizing.

We don't talk about parents.

We only act like we know each other outside school.


We don't make physical contact.


No one mentions eye drops.

Writing Prompt #153: Reverse a Villain

Take traits from one of the villains in your life, and make the character a hero.

Writing Prompt #152: A Comparison of Gifts

Today incidental placement on a shelf showed me starkly the differences between two people in my life.

One object was a gift from a friend. He had seen my interest in the object and heard my passing exclamation at its prettiness, and later acquired it. Then, he had found something else to make it prettier. He'd given it to me as a gift, on my birthday. The object has sat in a position of prominence wherever I've lived since then. It's one of the prettiest things I own, and I treasure it.

The other thing had been given to me in passing, as an afterthought, by someone who was going to throw it away. I'd treasured it on the same shelf, right next to the gift.

Why do we treasure the things thrown to us by people who don't care? How do we delude ourselves into treasuring a paper duck the way we treasure a vase? And why do we give people top shelf in our lives when we don't matter in theirs?

Write a story where two objects- be they gifts or possessions or trash- demonstrate the differences between two people.

I cleared off a shelf in my life today. I hope you have friends and good people and relationships to treasure in yours.

Writing Prompt #151: Fortitude

A character has to ignore their own suffering to get something done.

Writing Prompt #150: Sliced and Diced

A character finds a way to be gentle and kind with someone who hurt them badly.

My favorite way to do this is to find a troubled child they remind me of, and focus on loving them the way I'd love that kid.