How did you get on yesterday? Did you write a story?
Remember, set your own rules, and stick to them. If you miss a day, don’t try to catch up. Just keep moving forward!
The Prompt
Write The Same Incident From Three Different Perspectives
Use this exercise to sink into character: how would different people tell the story of the same incident? What are their motivations? Who are they talking to? What are they hoping to achieve?
Go!
Check back every day for more prompts, and don’t forget to come back and leave a comment to celebrate your writing successes, every day!
September Day19
Three Perspectives
I am currently writing a short story about a girl, Nancy.
I have taken three prominent characters from Nancy’s story and am looking at it through their eyes.
A woman called Alice who befriended Nancy as a child at the request of Nancy’s mother.
Luke, The son of Alice and childhood soulmate of Nancy.
Horace, the local preacher who decided to trick Nancy into a loveless marriage.
This challenge has worked well for me and has also helped me develop my current short story.
My story about an incident embedded within a larger 8 months (and still counting) situation – the characters 1. The nurse at the epilepsy clinic, 2. The patient/client of the clinic, 3. The mother of the patient/client. The incident: the need to have a form filled out in order to have the patient/client’s driver’s license reinstated and the medical requirements leading up to having it happen.
At some point two of the three characters may look back and find the humour but not just yet.
I have written about three siblings who view their childhood in a Herefordshire village in three very different ways.
It was inspired by an idea, I’ve been long nursing, for a novel, if ever I feel confident enough to try!
OK here is my Day 20 – which is your Day 19. Definitely three perspectives on the same incident. I hope you enjoy it – http://afstoryaday.blogspot.com/2019/05/day-20-2020.html
I am SO into this storyline!
This was fun! Took advantage of an event I attended, molded it a bit to fit some of the secondary characters in my story, and will need to make time to put handwriting to typing again sometime this week…
Doesn’t look like my comment posted:
I wrote my story about an event – not saying what type of event mind you – told from the perspectives of the Challenger, the Champion, and a girl named Jenna.
Full text here, and feedback is appreciated!
https://mikeyent.com/storyaday-challenge-perspective/
Sorry! You got caught in the moderation queue. Should be OK now.
Thanks Julie! Thought maybe it was my IP so I tried something a little different.
Great site BTW!
Thanks! How did you find us?
Sorry, you got caught in the moderation queue! Should be fine after this.
I really liked this prompt too. I wrote about 500 words. Title is Three Generation and is a grandfather, father and son watching fireworks.
That sounds amazing. I bet the perspectives are different! How old is the son?
It probably needs work to be any good. The son is 5 or 6. And the grandfather has dementia or Alzheimer’s, so the very different perspectives.
This is a fantastic site. Thank you for these prompts!
My story is on my blog – https://mikeyent.com/storyaday-challenge-perspective/
Feedback appreciated!
What kind of feedback? Does it work or not? If so, YES, it works! I especially loved how the three different perspectives were also alike: “I’m the center of this world, and I’m bound to win.” At the same time, each perspective was distinct.
Great – thanks Marian!
Allan, on the feedback front, definitely three perspectives and good for from a short story perspective. It would be interesting to build on this. I.e. spying on what, secrets? Maybe that’s the point though.
Good thought. Building on it is something I’ll work on. I have some ideas as to what the “secret” is…
Three Perspectives
In this short account, I will use three perspectives on when I was hit by a Town of Gilbert truck at an intersection near my home at Ray and Lindsay on August 30, 2006, while riding my bicycle. Usually, I write fiction, but this story is honest and true seen from three different perspectives. I was found guilty of two Arizona moving traffic violations a month later and sentenced to traffic school. I had a cracked bone in my wrist and left a huge dent in a city truck. All considered, I won this one for sure.
My Perspective:
Stale green light, but I will take the crosswalk and get through before the light changes. Oh no, light has changed. What the? I am rolling into a vehicle windshield. I hear a scream. It is the driver, a woman. In a panic, she hits the brakes. And the next thing I know, I am flying. Flying toward the intersection where cars now are driving through on a green light. Gravity is no longer my friend as I hit the pavement in the middle of the intersection. Must get up before I get run over. If I can. I can and I stand. The truck that hit me is now parked on the side of the road. With my cell phone out, I call my wife and let her know that I’ve been hit, but remarkably I’m all right, but I’m in shock. Police are talking to me. How rude, interrupting me. Can’t you see I’m on the phone? My wife pulls up as the policeman is handing me a ticket for reckless behavior in an active intersection. Whaaaatttt???
Truck Driver’s Perspective:
Running my delivery late again and this time they may write me up. I’ve been with the Town of Gilbert for almost a year driving documents and supplies to offices all over town. Time is a big deal and running late on my route is not acceptable as I am no longer considered a newbie. Great light is green, hit the gas. Oh MY GOD!!! I just hit a guy on a bicycle! Shittttt! Brakes. Oh God, he just took off! Like a bird! Great! Now I’ve got to fill out an accident report. Hope that fella is okay. Good, he got to his feet! He is a big fella for sure. Damn, left a big old dent in my hood. Police are here already. Yes, officer, the light turned green and I went. I did not see him. I’ve been working for the town about a year now. Love it. Good health benefits. I’m all right. Stopped the minute I saw him, but it was clearly too late. He was at fault? All right sounds good. No, write up for me. Have a nice day.
The Police Officer’s Perspective:
Roger, we are pulling up at the intersection of Lindsay and Ray now. We have a bicycle rider struck by a Town of Gilbert vehicle driven by an employee. Will send a report in as soon as we can. Over. We have a woman driver of the vehicle, a flatbed pick up truck, appears to be a 1998 model. A bicycle operator is walking away from the intersection appearing to be unhurt. Sir are you all right? Nothing injured. No pain. Move your hand for me. You say there is some discomfort. Your wife is here? Ma’am, I’m Officer Fortner and your husband has just been struck by that pickup truck over there. According to the witnesses so far, he was in the crosswalk illegally when the traffic light changed. Illegally? Well, he was in the left crosswalk riding his bicycle and not the right crosswalk thus creating an intersection hazard, plus it is illegal to ride a bicycle in a crosswalk in the State of Arizona. Now he says he’s in no pain, but his wrist is a little tender, so I’d have it checked out. Sir, here is your ticket for violating the traffic safety codes. You folks have a good day.
Yikes! Glad it all worked out! Fun way to tell the story!
George,
Nice story, lucky you got out unscathed, historically I’ve not been so lucky. It all seemed very polite
That’s brilliant!
I love this prompt, but I didn’t use it. I probably could have, but I just didn’t. I’ll keep it in my back pocket, though, for some other day, because I’ve used it before (in the out-of-print novel that spawned the Holly Jahangiri stories, as a matter of fact). ANYWAY, here’s my story: http://marianallen.com/2019/05/a-librarian-at-the-circus-storyadaymay-samplesunday-hollyjahangiri/
Your first line made me laugh out loud.
You know those vests photographers have, with all the voluminous pockets? I suspect writers’ trousers must be like that. Voluminous back pockets! 😉
Marián well done, love the use of the biblical references for the names of the rogues. Envious of the ingenuity.