Today’s prompt was inspired by my recent strong reaction against the short story Heat by Joyce Carol Oates.( I hated it.)

The story is set in a past that I presume is similar to the author’s own: a world where ice deliveries still happened and kids spent long summer days largely unsupervised in their dusty country town. Then one day, something happened that no-one in the town will ever forget.

The Prompt

Mine your childhood for an event that you’ll never forget. Create a story based around it.

Tips

• The story does not have to be hugely dramatic. It doesn’t have to be a murder or a disappearance; just something that you remember (the day they installed the new swings at the playground; the time you got lost for five minutes at the fair; the annual strawberry festival).
• Think of a character this would matter to. It can be someone radically different from the you-of-your-memory.
• Paint a picture of the place, the people, the importance of the event to them.
• Pay attention to the imagery you choose to use. Make it fit with the time/place.
• Make your characters three-dimensional but don’t be afraid to let someone be a bit of a hero.

Go!