Sometimes it’s fun to write about big, grand, dramatic themes: war, a break-up, a life-changing event.
But sometimes the most effective stories come from a meticulously detailed moment in everyday life: someone opens a letter, someone puts down a phone, someone opens a door.
Of course, what matters in stories like these is character: how does your character anticipate, react; what’s at stake?
The Prompt
Write a story in which you examine a small moment from every day life and illuminate something – about your character or about the world. Keep the inciting incident mundane, and the consequences too, if you can. But show us something big about life.
Tips
- Don’t make the drama too big. Let it spring from a tiny, everyday encounter. But make it matter to your character in some way.
- Take an incident from your life today (or yesterday) that vexed you, or delighted you. Give it to a character who is weaker than you, or stronger than you, or more exuberant, or more of a wall-flower. Show us how you would have dealt with it in a more or less ideal world.
- Write fast, as fast as you can.
- Make sure your story travels from start to end: don’t just write a scene, make someone or something change between the first word and the last.
The Rules:
- You must write the story in one 24 hr period – the faster the better.
- This week, DON’T post the story in the comments — but do leave a comment saying you wrote something.
- Find something nice to say about someone else’s story and leave a comment. Everybody needs a little support!
Optional Extras:
Share this challenge on Twitter or Facebook
Some tweets/updates you might use:
Can you find the story in everyday things? #WriteOnWed #storyaday https://storyaday.org/wow-everyday/
This week’s #WriteOnWed short story prompt is Everyday Experiences: #storyaday https://storyaday.org/wow-everyday/
Come and keep your writing resolution with this week’s prompt: #WriteOnWed #storyaday https://storyaday.org/wow-everyday/
I wrote my story today – will you write yours? #WriteOnWed #storyaday https://storyaday.org/wow-everyday/