Writing Prompt: Exercise of Character
Not all writing prompts can be formulaic. As a writer, I am a creative person, and it is because I was using a formula for writing prompts simply to help make production faster that I got burnt out, and had to take a week off.
This week I thought I would do something a little bit different. Instead of a prompt per se, I’m providing an exercise/prompt.
I once responded to a competition which gave a photo for a writing prompt and the instruction to throw away your first two ideas for the story. This was a brilliant approach, and it created diversity in stories for the anthology that was created (which included my story).
I want to do something a little along those lines.
Step 1: Character
If you have a deck of Tarot cards, pull a card to represent your character. Spend a few minutes getting the idea of your character before you move on. However, if you don’t have your own Tarot deck, then spend some tiem creating a character, taking a character you’ve already created, or using a character already in existence from something you like. You can always change them later.
Step 2: Setting
Put your character in this position: the world around them is crumbling. Ask yourself, is this literal, or metaphorical? Is this personal, or literally the whole world? Once you’ve answered these questions, delve into as much detail as you’d like. Whatever the answers is, your character is in distress.
Step 3: Belief
Your character knows that there is one person/thing that will always have the answers. Not just suggestions, but true answers that are 100% correct. In this time of need, your character goes to them.
Step 4: The Answer
Your character implores what to do. The person or thing says nothing, only reveals a single image, and continues to say nothing. That image is the wheel of Fortune.
Step 5: The Prompt
- What is the answer?
- What does it mean?
- How does your character use this?
- Is the answer true?
- What’s the catch?
