Using the same scene you wrote about for Prompt #108, write from the other person’s point of view. All inner thought, motivation and drama come from the secondary character’s point of view.
Or take any two characters: First write from one point of view, then write from the other person’s point of view.
Today’s writing prompt is inspired from “Falling Down the Rabbit Hole” by Emily Hanlon, December 2007 issue of Writer’s Digest magazine.
Using an incident from your life, or your fictional character’s life, write a scene from your point of view (or, your fictional character’s point of view). Use dialogue. Inner thought is what defines point of view. The other character in this scene speaks and acts, but the reader doesn’t know the secondary character’s thoughts. All the inner thoughts belong to the point-of-view character.
Basically, you are writing about an argument or a fight, or a heated debate between two people . . . yourself or your fictional character, and a secondary character, using dialogue.
So far, on The Write Spot Blog, the prompts have been nice and easy. How about challenging yourself with a pantoum?
Pantoum is the Western word for the Malayan pantun, a poetic form that first appeared in the fifteenth century, in Malayan literature. It existed orally before then.
The Western version of the pantoum is a poem of indefinite length made up of stanzas whose four lines are repeated in a pattern: lines 2 and 4 of each stanza are repeated as lines 1 and 3 of the next stanza.
___________________________________________________________ line 1
___________________________________________________________ line 2
___________________________________________________________ line 3
___________________________________________________________ line 4
___________________________________________________________ line 5 – same as line 2
___________________________________________________________ line 6
___________________________________________________________ line 7 – same as line 4
___________________________________________________________ line 8
___________________________________________________________ line 9 – same as line 6
___________________________________________________________ line 10 – same as line 3
___________________________________________________________ line 11 – same as line 8
___________________________________________________________ line 12 – same as line 1
The final stanza has a twist: The second and fourth lines are the same as the third and first lines of the first stanza. The first line of the poem is the same as the last. This way, every line is used twice.
Click on comments below to see samples of pantoums.
“Muse still comes in a rewrite. Magic happens in rewriting. As you chip away, themes appear. Start the story on the day the character’s life changes. Use your first draft to explore characters.”
— Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, author of The Pet Washer and Guardian Herd – Starfire
Jennifer says this about Starfire:
“It wrote me. I did not come up for air until the first draft was finished. I’d always been warned not to write ‘talking animal’ books — that publishers don’t like them — but as I edited STARFIRE, I realized it was the book I’d always wanted to read as a kid.”
“In hindsight, I’m grateful STARFIRE is the book that broke through because this book, my fifth, is the book I was born to write. It is the sum of me and my interests—flying horses and underdogs, heroes and bullies, and a special colt watching his herd, wishing he was not an outsider. It’s the story for anyone who’s ever felt left out, or different, or alone, but who believes in their heart they can belong and, perhaps, make a difference. It’s my story, and now—thanks to my agent and HarperCollins—it can be your story too.”
Note from Marlene: Is there a story you have always wanted to write? Use any of the prompts on The Write Spot Blog to jumpstart your writing. Just Write!
The funny thing about rock bottom is . . .Photo by Breana Marie
Write a thank you note . . . either for a tangible, or intangible gift, either for a gift you truly liked, or something you saw as annoying or difficult at first. . . but later saw the value or the good of the gift.
The subject of death may be uncomfortable or difficult for some. And yet, we are all going to die . . . some time. . . somehow. Here’s a quote from Steve Jobs.
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” — Steve Jobs
Note from Marlene: Writing. . . letting others read your writing . . . can make you feel vulnerable, afraid and weak in the knees. And yet, when we pay attention to our desire to write and when we write. . . it’s such a satisfying feeling. So, I say, let go of your fears. . . be brave. . . write and share your writing. Go for it and Just Write.
Start a sentence with “The way I found out about . . . ” and go from there. Write! Just write.
