Recently I started reading Herman Melville's Don Benito. The hero of this story is a really nice guy, well-meaning and well-wishing to a fault, thinking the best of people to the point that you fear for his safety, overall a very nice guy.
What's fascinating is that he's also horrendously racist. Not in a movie-villain Nazi kind of way- in an "I seriously believe this stuff" kind of way. He's very nice. He's also just horribly wrong.
I'm challenging you to write a character who is a really good guy or gal, but is really, REALLY wrong about something.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Writing Prompt #446: Wall-Breaking
The little assumptions that drive friends apart start really small. "She doesn't want to hear about the thing consuming my life right now; I shouldn't bug her." "She's too busy now." "She has other friends; she won't want to talk to me." Until eventually it's, "I don't know how to talk to her anymore."
And maybe you were right in some early, little assumptions, but also, maybe someone is freezing behind a door you built out of legos.
I wish me-8-months-ago was better at checking in on friends and making absolutely sure that I annoyed them instead of leaving them in the cold.
But you know what's cool? The conversation that breaks through that door.
Both of you hurt. And there's a lot of letting go being understood to understand, a lot of being mis-judged to forgive, a lot of "you're more important than this." There's grief for the time lost, but in the middle of everything that's bleak and hurting, there's hope. There's connection. You're talking again. You're going to be friends.
I'm challenging you to write a reconciliation, but if you have a lego-brick door, forget this prompt, forget this blog, forget writing a reconciliation and please go live one. People are too important to leave in the cold.
And maybe you were right in some early, little assumptions, but also, maybe someone is freezing behind a door you built out of legos.
I wish me-8-months-ago was better at checking in on friends and making absolutely sure that I annoyed them instead of leaving them in the cold.
But you know what's cool? The conversation that breaks through that door.
Both of you hurt. And there's a lot of letting go being understood to understand, a lot of being mis-judged to forgive, a lot of "you're more important than this." There's grief for the time lost, but in the middle of everything that's bleak and hurting, there's hope. There's connection. You're talking again. You're going to be friends.
I'm challenging you to write a reconciliation, but if you have a lego-brick door, forget this prompt, forget this blog, forget writing a reconciliation and please go live one. People are too important to leave in the cold.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Writing Prompt #445: Missing Action
You know that moment when you realize you're awake because you miss someone?
Sitting on Facebook hoping the little green light by their name pops on, checking your email over and over...it's not like something is going to happen. It's just that you feel better waiting around in a place where something could.
It's not a good way to get to sleep on time.
How do you deal with missing? Day-to-day missing, big-deal missing, five-minute missing...write about a character making moves and choices based on finding what they miss.
Sitting on Facebook hoping the little green light by their name pops on, checking your email over and over...it's not like something is going to happen. It's just that you feel better waiting around in a place where something could.
It's not a good way to get to sleep on time.
How do you deal with missing? Day-to-day missing, big-deal missing, five-minute missing...write about a character making moves and choices based on finding what they miss.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Writing Prompt #444: Waiting
Right now, I'm waiting for something that I really, really want. Like, I've never gotten to want anything like this before, EVER. And it's going to be a long, looooong time.
How can you find adventure in the waiting?
How can you find purpose in standing still when you want to move forward?
Sometimes, true love waits an awful long time. Write about a character who waits heroically.
(And if you've got any tips for a waiter like me, let me know in the comments below. ;) )
How can you find adventure in the waiting?
How can you find purpose in standing still when you want to move forward?
Sometimes, true love waits an awful long time. Write about a character who waits heroically.
(And if you've got any tips for a waiter like me, let me know in the comments below. ;) )
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Writing Prompt #443: Knocking on Windows
When something scary happens, sometimes it takes a while to get over it.
After a tornado hit my family's house, my sister and I would turn on the ceiling fan and count off how long we could stand the sound before we turned it off, just trying to get back to normal again.
I'm challenging you to write a character who is made nervous by something irrational, because of something that happened.
Is it a fear of flashlights or knocks on car windows (I relate!)? Is it nervousness about a particular location, or sound, or word?
Make him or her work around it for some really good reason.
I'm totally chill with ceiling fans now. I hope all your fears go away the same way. It feels good to not have to be brave.
After a tornado hit my family's house, my sister and I would turn on the ceiling fan and count off how long we could stand the sound before we turned it off, just trying to get back to normal again.
I'm challenging you to write a character who is made nervous by something irrational, because of something that happened.
Is it a fear of flashlights or knocks on car windows (I relate!)? Is it nervousness about a particular location, or sound, or word?
Make him or her work around it for some really good reason.
I'm totally chill with ceiling fans now. I hope all your fears go away the same way. It feels good to not have to be brave.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Writing Prompt #442: Re-engaged
Someone picks up an activity that they haven't done in a long time.
Hello. I'm busy. I'm maybe a little broken. But I'm back, for now.
Hello. I'm busy. I'm maybe a little broken. But I'm back, for now.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Writing Prompt #441: twenty-three dollars short
Today I got to do something I'm really bad at: I got to forgive myself for a mistake.
That's really hard for me. It's easy to remember that other people are worth more than their stumbles. It's easy to remember that they can overcome their hurdles and I can love them through no matter what.
But today I was twenty-three dollars short after a mistake that I had made before and I wondered if maybe I wasn't good enough to do my job, if maybe I should quit, if maybe I wasn't qualified to even drive my car and I should stay huddled in my room where I couldn't mess anything up for anybody else.
Today I had to find reasons to believe I was worth forgiving and continuing to believe in, and I found Bible verses.
I'm challenging you to write about a character who has made a mistake. How does he forgive himself? How does she move forward?
That's really hard for me. It's easy to remember that other people are worth more than their stumbles. It's easy to remember that they can overcome their hurdles and I can love them through no matter what.
But today I was twenty-three dollars short after a mistake that I had made before and I wondered if maybe I wasn't good enough to do my job, if maybe I should quit, if maybe I wasn't qualified to even drive my car and I should stay huddled in my room where I couldn't mess anything up for anybody else.
Today I had to find reasons to believe I was worth forgiving and continuing to believe in, and I found Bible verses.
I'm challenging you to write about a character who has made a mistake. How does he forgive himself? How does she move forward?
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