[Write On Wednesday] A Winter Tale

The Prompt

Write a short story with an atmospheric feel set in any of the wintery types of weather that present opportunities to give that additional ingredient of mystery and suspense.

Sat here on a dark, cold, wet morning I thought what a wonderful time of year for a story prompt! Winter offers so many more options to add tension and drama to a scene.

Tips

  • Think of Victorian London, thick, swirling sulphurous fog and the menace of Jack the Ripper.
  • A cold frosty morning, crunchy grass underfoot. The sound of someone following you, dare you look behind.
  • Where do the crazy footprints in the deep, crisp snow lead?
  • A howling gale, is that a ghost I can hear moaning behind the tombstones?
  • A misty morning on the heather clad moors, Cathy frantically searching for Heathcliffe.

Winter tales don’t have to focus on Christmas or New Year (or any other religious festival), there are so many varied forms of winter weather that you can use to give your story that extra buzz of originality and authenticity.

An atmospheric opening paragraph to a story can give a wonderful sense of foreboding. But don’t forget your character; he, she or it needs to be introduced early and be placed in the middle of the dramatic scene.

And don’t ignore your character’s motivation that is driving them to pursue their dream or chase that thief. Then the reader asks ‘why is he there in the middle of nowhere?’ or ‘what is she doing wearing only a bikini in the middle of a snowstorm?’

Go!

Malcolm Richardson has been writing creatively for the last ten years. After a slow start focussing on a novel, which is still only half completed he has concentrated on short stories over the last few years. His recent focus has been entering short stories in competitions. Freshly renewed over the last couple of months, he is now getting grips with his novel with the aim of completing a full first draft early next year. Malcolm is a latecomer to blogging, but his September Story a Day stories can be found here.

 

Sept 29 – Tension Tuesday

Endings

So, our thirty day journey of exploration is almost over. For an easier wind down, todays prompt takes the form of … an ending! Sometimes it can be easier to start a story at the end rather than the beginning. At least you know what you are working towards!

The Prompt

 In no more than 600 words write the ending of a story. This is effectively the final scene, the denouement, the resolution or however you want the story to end. This is still a Tension Tuesday prompt, so we need to know how all the tension has been dealt with.

Tips

  • Try to write a very short summary or synopsis of your story (50 words maximum) so that this can offer guidance to how we’ve ended up here. It will also be helpful next month (Thursday!) when you can re-visit this prompt and think about writing the rest of the story.
  • It is probably advisable to limit the amount of dialogue in the conclusion. Narrative will allow you to explain more in a shorter number of words, but don’t forget to SHOW not TELL!
  • Some dialogue might add power to the ending and enable you to show the main character’s feelings about the outcome.
  • There is no need to explain everything, after all this is the ending and hopefully the reader will have read the rest of the story, before alighting at this point.
  • The ending still needs TENSION and INTRIGUE, and DRAMA.

OK, now stop thinking about the opening paragraph and start writing!

Malcolm Richardson has been writing creatively for the last ten years. After a slow start focussing on a novel, which is still only half completed he has concentrated on short stories over the last few years. One day the novel may be resurrected, but his current focus is entering short stories in competitions. Malcolm is a latecomer to blogging, but his Story a Day stories can be found here.

Make sure to post a comment below, with a link to your story.

Sept 22 – Tension Tuesday

The Family Gathering!

For todays Tense Tuesday prompt we are exploring that time honoured ritual … the family gathering. Why is it an occasion that should be relaxing and carefree so often induces so much tension and stress? It might be Christmas, a birthday celebration, a summer barbecue, a christening, a wedding or even a funeral.

The Prompt

 Write a short story about a family gathering where things don’t quite work out as expected. It can be a social event at work or a family holiday that goes spectacularly wrong, you choose.

Tips

  • For this exercise it is probably best not to have too many characters, maybe a couple of main characters and two or three subsidiary ones.
  • It can be any genre you like; even dragon families, zombies and aliens fall out with one another!
  • You could make it some of your ancestors, how did family gatherings go wrong in times gone by?

OK, now stop trying to pacify Aunt Maud and start writing!

Malcolm Richardson has been writing creatively for the last ten years. After a slow start focussing on a novel, which is still only half completed he has concentrated on short stories over the last few years. One day the novel may be resurrected, but his current focus is entering short stories in competitions. Malcolm is a latecomer to blogging, but his Story a Day stories can be found here.

Make sure to post a comment below, with a link to your story.

Sept 15 – Tension Tuesday

A Blind Date

For today’s prompt we’re looking at romance. In today’s world of Internet dating, there must be many more blind dates than ever before. But meeting someone you’ve never met in person before can still be very tense. Exchanging emails is not quite the same thing as talking face to face.

The Prompt

Write a short story about two people meeting up for the first time. They may have emailed, texted, tweeted or whatever, but this is the first time they’ve met face to face.

Tips

  • This doesn’t have to be all dialogue, and preferably not a lot of backstory.
  • Chose two characters looking for love, they may be young, middle aged or old. Not too much description of each, it’s the interaction we are looking for here.
  • One of the key words to consider for this story is EMOTION, what are they thinking and feeling. This may require an element of head hopping, but try to keep it to a minimum.
  • Even if they have exchanged emails, letters (does anybody still write letters?) starting off may be awkward. Who says what first? What sort of questions do they ask first.
  • It doesn’t have to be in the present, you could set it in earlier times.

OK, now stop swooning and start writing!

Malcolm Richardson has been writing creatively for the last ten years. After a slow start focussing on a novel, which is still only half completed he has concentrated on short stories over the last few years. One day the novel may be resurrected, but his current focus is entering short stories in competitions. Malcolm is a latecomer to blogging, but his Story a Day stories can be found here.

Make sure to post a comment below, with a link to your story.

 

Sept 8 – Tension Tuesday

Hi, I’m Malcolm and welcome Tension Tuesdays! Every story needs tension, it’s what keeps the reader guessing and turning the pages. Tension can take many forms, positive or negative.  This week we start with the negative – conflict. In every story there must be conflict. Possibly not all out war or physical violence, but different people have different points of view, which don’t always match.

The Prompt

Write a short story of conflict between two people, protagonist and antagonist.

Tips

  • For this exercise it is probably easiest to make this virtually all dialogue. You can hint at a place or setting, but that is not important here.
  • Chose two characters with opposing points of view on any subject you like; the weather, love, romance, fidelity, infidelity, what to watch on TV, sport, you choose.
  • Try to express how each character is feeling, by what they say and how they say it. What emotions is the disagreement or argument releasing?
  • What about the ending? There has to be a resolution in some shape or form. How is this achieved? There must be conciliation on each side or a punch up!
  • A good length would be up to 1,000 words. Many more and it is likely to drag on into full blown civil war!
  • A word of warning, politics and religion are not on the agenda!

OK, now stop arguing and start writing!

Malcolm Richardson has been writing creatively for the last ten years. After a slow start focussing on a novel, which is still only half completed he has concentrated on short stories over the last few years. One day the novel may be resurrected, but his current focus is entering short stories in competitions. Malcolm is a latecomer to blogging, but his Story a Day stories can be found here.

Make sure to post a comment below, with a link to your story.