In case you haven't noticed, I'm not very good at being concise. When I write, I tend to be very conversational in style, thus I get a bit wordy. I don't really mind it, but I want to try and strike a balance. I've been thinking about my writing abilities a lot lately, putting a lot into question, because I've been buried in a plethora of kind-hearted compliments about my style and technicality. While that's wonderful and very flattering, I'm wondering if I deserve it. The vast majority of my writing has been business-related lately; I haven't done any straight creative writing in nearly a year. Perhaps I'm doubting myself for this reason. I'm going to have a lot of writing duties coming up, and I need to bolster my confidence and practice being concise.
When I come up with new ideas for creative writing exercises, I tend to think too big. My ideas are grand, they're extensive, I like to live in my characters' shoes. I need an exercise, but I need one that isn't quite so involved. If you'd be so kind, I'd appreciate a little kickstart. A teensy one, a kick just forceful enough to get me going, but not so powerful that I go too far. Ladies and gentlemen of the blog, I need your help.
Let's play a game. Heck, let's turn this into a contest - the last one worked so well, maybe this one will too. I need you to give me a few bits of inspiration, off which I will attempt to write a complete fictional story that fills no more than four pages. I will fiddle with this story whenever I have free time (which won't be much), and when I'm done I'll post it here. I will attempt to make the story both creatively interesting and technically proper, so as to live up to the compliments I have been receiving. Whoever provides the input that inspires me will win a prize. Below you'll find a list of what I need, a recipe for this new story. Post a comment with your input and good luck! I'll announce the winners once I've gotten around to writing the story (and who knows when that will be...)
Recipe:
- Two character names (Bob McBob, Julie Vanderbilt; something complete.)
- A setting (i.e. a diner, a car, a sandbox.)
- An action (anything from a sneeze to a complex game.)
- Three genres, in order of preference.
- A suggestion for what the winner should receive as his or her prize.
Bonus Point: Write the very last sentence of the story.
Good luck! Let's see some participation, people! Be creative, be funny, be unique. I can't wait to see what you come up with. :)
