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[Writing Prompt] Elizabeth Spann Craig – The Unexpected Guest

[Here’s another scenario ripe with opportunities for character development, comedy, tragedy…in other words emotion — that thing that all readers are looking for! – JD]

The Prompt

Your protagonist opens the door and finds an unexpected guest–a friend from high school who hasn’t been heard from in many years.

This friend has fallen on hard times and wants to stay with your protagonist a few days. As your protagonist and friend sit in the kitchen, the friend reminisces about the old days…and stirs up trouble by recalling some unhappy teen moments, too.

How does your protagonist react and what are those good and bad times in the past? 



Elizabeth writes the Southern Quilting mysteries for Penguin/NAL, the Memphis Barbeque mysteries for Penguin/Berkley, and the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink and independently. She blogs at ElizabethSpannCraig.com/blog, which was named by Writer’s Digest as one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers for 2010-2013.

16 thoughts on “[Writing Prompt] Elizabeth Spann Craig – The Unexpected Guest”

  1. A little tired tonight. I wrote about 1,000 words in about 20 minutes before I felt myself drifting off. I don’t think I produced anything coherent enough, though I did find a few new threads to pursue in the Poetics of Sustainability project I’ve been pursuing. More tomorrow.

  2. I sort of combined the two prompts, and got the story done in under an hour. So much fun.

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