I just got to set a reminder to keep up with this!
The Exercise:
Begin a story with this line:
"Where were you last night?"
"Where were you last night?" her mother asked. A question they both knew couldn't end well because it always marked the opening to many troublesome firsts. The first time it was asked she snuck out and got drunk for this first time, the second time she lost her virginity, the third she crashed the family's only car, but the fourth would certainly take the cake.
"The neighbors were at it again."
The neighbors were at it again. You could hear them banging tools, welding metal, and bickering over details. Living next mechanics is a mixed blessing.
"One more thing before you go."
"One more thing before you go." He turned back expecting a punch in the face only to see his hand extended ready to shake with a shamed look upon his face. That was not going to happen he knew that fake look that he only trotted out when in public. He'd be back to his old ways by tomorrow.
"This is a story I've been avoiding for a long time."
This is a story I've been avoiding for a long time. Not out of shame but convenience. For you see, I've been in 9 wars and fought in none of them.
"If I went there a second time..."
If I went there a second time... Let me me think.... I'd skip the meal, have lots of wine, get the best idea in the world, and then probably pass out before I'd get crazy enough to do it.
I wrote the next one because I misread the top one as "If I were there a second time..."
"If I were there a second time..."
If I were there a second time... I wouldn't have been so spineless. I'd tell her how I felt, tell her dad where he could stick it, stick up for her in front of her mother, and most certainly not marry her sister.
"I haven't been the same since..."
I haven't been the same since... but who would? A once in a lifetime experience to cheat death. But but by an inch that speeding car had missed me only to collide with my home. Both a lucky and irritating experience, but it's not like I'm complaining or anything.
"See that house over there? Let me tell you..."
See that house over there? Let me tell you... Oh! The things that go on in that house! Terrible things, things with alcohol, things with drugs, perverse things, things on people, things involving costumes, things that barely make sense, things within things! I can't wait to go back next week!
So fun! :3
I'm glad I kept up with this, I just love getting the creative juices flowing. Plots and stories that I might never have thought of come to mind when I do these. Try to guess which one is my favorite. X3 See you next time!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Execrise 3: Ways to Begin a Story
Fee, I don't know how to reply to your comments off the top of my head so make sure to check back here until I figure it out.
I fell off the writing wagon a bit due to a changing work schedule but I plan on getting back on starting today. So without further ado, exercise 3!
With a Generalization
They are all the same. No matter how they dress, talk, act, or look; exactly the same....
With a Description of a Person
Tall and skinny with not a lot of hair. Casual, matching business clothes and a really, really stupid grin. That's him, all right.
With Narrative Summary
Their wedding was just right around the corner to everyone's surprise. They never thought it would go this far. They didn't even like each other but as it seems love has nothing to do with liking one another.
With Dialogue
"Whatever you do, don't stare are her tits." said Dad. He stared anyways.
With Several Characters but no Dialogue
Chatter, chatter, chatter! Just endless chatter. Nonsense from the secretary, vindictive gibberish from the boss, irrelevant jibberjab from the coworkers, and defensive humor from myself. Business as usual.
With a Setting and Only One Character
He had his armor on extra tight tonight. The woods became more of a dangerous place since the war. Veterans that now resort to banditry on the main roads, pickpockets and thieves lurking at resting areas, overprotective, near paranoid workers at clearings, and even deeper there be dragons.
With a Reminiscent Narrator
The food I ate that night was something else, not that great but at least it tasted like food.
With a Child Narrator
Daddy is so overprotective but when I'm scared there is no other place I'd rather be than in his arms. When I'm in there there is no monster or scary thing that can reach me, I'm too well protected inside of my "Dad Fort".
By Establishing a Point of View
First person
Her Dad did not care for me at all. I never really got why, her ex had a record, hit her, stole from him, and, surprise surprise, used drugs yet he always liked him much better than me. He even oh-so-conveniently invited him over the first time I went over for dinner.
Third person
A rose, a single rose. That's all that was left after the fire. Her garden of so many years reduced to a single flower. But it bloomed and stood tall as if it were defiantly challenging her to start again.
This was fun. This was actually supposed to be two parts. I practice with each opening types then use each of them on a single story to change it up. Since this is eating up time I'll do it for my next post and pick one of these sentences to experiment on like the last exercise since I don't have a story in mind that I want to fiddle with at the moment.
I fell off the writing wagon a bit due to a changing work schedule but I plan on getting back on starting today. So without further ado, exercise 3!
With a Generalization
They are all the same. No matter how they dress, talk, act, or look; exactly the same....
With a Description of a Person
Tall and skinny with not a lot of hair. Casual, matching business clothes and a really, really stupid grin. That's him, all right.
With Narrative Summary
Their wedding was just right around the corner to everyone's surprise. They never thought it would go this far. They didn't even like each other but as it seems love has nothing to do with liking one another.
With Dialogue
"Whatever you do, don't stare are her tits." said Dad. He stared anyways.
With Several Characters but no Dialogue
Chatter, chatter, chatter! Just endless chatter. Nonsense from the secretary, vindictive gibberish from the boss, irrelevant jibberjab from the coworkers, and defensive humor from myself. Business as usual.
With a Setting and Only One Character
He had his armor on extra tight tonight. The woods became more of a dangerous place since the war. Veterans that now resort to banditry on the main roads, pickpockets and thieves lurking at resting areas, overprotective, near paranoid workers at clearings, and even deeper there be dragons.
With a Reminiscent Narrator
The food I ate that night was something else, not that great but at least it tasted like food.
With a Child Narrator
Daddy is so overprotective but when I'm scared there is no other place I'd rather be than in his arms. When I'm in there there is no monster or scary thing that can reach me, I'm too well protected inside of my "Dad Fort".
By Establishing a Point of View
First person
Her Dad did not care for me at all. I never really got why, her ex had a record, hit her, stole from him, and, surprise surprise, used drugs yet he always liked him much better than me. He even oh-so-conveniently invited him over the first time I went over for dinner.
Third person
A rose, a single rose. That's all that was left after the fire. Her garden of so many years reduced to a single flower. But it bloomed and stood tall as if it were defiantly challenging her to start again.
This was fun. This was actually supposed to be two parts. I practice with each opening types then use each of them on a single story to change it up. Since this is eating up time I'll do it for my next post and pick one of these sentences to experiment on like the last exercise since I don't have a story in mind that I want to fiddle with at the moment.
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