A Prompt To Complete a Previous Unfinished Storyline

Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter — What If? Writing Exercise for Fiction Writers prompts

The Exercise — Pull out one of your stories that doesn't feel finished. Have your main character do the following exercises - as if he had his own notebook. For example, maybe you write with a number 2 pencil, but your character prefers to use a Rapidograph pen. Go with the pen. Remember, your character is doing this exercise - not you, the author!

So, as your main character:

* make a diary entry for the time of the story

* make a diary entry for the time preceding the story

* write a letter to someone not in the story about what is happening in the story

* write a letter to someone in the story

Or you might explore places in the story that you haven't either dramatized or summarized. Examples:

* Have your characters avoided a confrontation? (This is a natural reaction - we are all nonconfrontational and, therefore, we often allow our characters to avoid the very scenes and confrontations that we would avoid.) Does your story have missing scenes?

* What events happened before the beginning of the story? Before page one? Try writing scenes of those events that most affected the beginning of the story. Maybe you started the story later than you should have.

* Write past the ending. Maybe your story isn't really finished. Perhaps you are avoiding the confrontation scene because you aren't really sure what your characters would say to each other.

The Objective - To explore aspects of a story that may seem, at first, to be on the periphery, but at a closer look can deepen or open it up. Nothing is ever lost by more fully knowing the individual world of each story. And it's better to let your characters speak for themselves.

Author's Note: The story below has been modified to meet the criteria outlined above. I wrote the original story five years ago now.

This is a scary time for me. We have lost touch with NASA. There is no response to any of our messages sent. What the hell is going on down there?

Five years ago, I was at NASA, in training to be an astronaut, working to reopen the Apollo missions from the 70s. The mission should be 12, but instead, we decided on Apollo 20.

Dear Mom, It has been too long since we talked. I am returning from the moon, and our experience here is typical of previous Apollo Mission experiences. Nothing much new. I have some great people with me, and we hope to be coming home real soon.

Please tell everyone that I am doing well. Hope to see you in the next week or so, as I'm not sure how long we will be held up once we land back on Earth! Love you, Your Anna Winnie

To Whom It May Concern: Please consider this my resignation. I will be done shortly after landing back on Earth. This experience is one that will last me a lifetime. I am concerned about why our communications are not being acknowledged or returned. Hoping for a safe landing and being reunited with family. Angelique Winter

It is time to get back to work! Will you help me over here, Steve? I have been trying to get through to NASA every few days now, and nothing. Please check our equipment to make sure it isn't something on our end. Can you help with that right now, Steve?

Steve said, "Well, I have something I'd like to finish first, Chief." Excuse me? What did you say to me? "Okay, I'm sorry. That is just what a few of us call you." Thank you for telling me, and I will take care of that right now!

I just can't believe this crew has the gall to name-call their fellow astronauts. Well, it may be jealousy, or why would it be any different in space than it is on our home planet? I am not letting this go. It is a good idea to talk this out. I don't like it, and I will let them know.

Hello, NASA, is anyone there? This is Apollo 20, returning from our extended stay on the moon. Is anyone there? Come in, NASA… No response. What is going on, Captain? It is more of the same experience from the moon, and we thought it had to be our communication devices.

We decided to complete our required duties on the moon and then return to Earth as scheduled because we thought it was just our communication pieces. Now, it is more of the same, with the devices that are on the shuttle. The same no response, like it was on the moon.

In the space shuttle, no response, and now it is time to worry. What happened to Earth? To the people? No news. No communication now, and it has probably been a couple of months since our last message.

It was just a few short months with no communication from Earth when we landed back on planet Earth, without support, it was difficult but doable. There is a great fear now for our families and earth. I continued to try to connect with someone on the communication devices, but nothing.

Mission control, do you hear me? There is no answer? Captain, is it okay to take off our space gear? Yes. The air is not contaminated. It is okay to breathe. What happened here? Lieutenant Colonel, is it okay to walk about? Yes, be careful, though.

Months later, I found a few tribal communities without phones or any form of communication, no social media. No one could answer my questions. I was told that the world as we have known it has changed.

I was told that all the people in the world were with their ancestors, and their families in England, France, Spain, and other countries, and the return to those countries was automatic. It was like a bomb went off. Nothing was the same.

When going to where my family’s farm was, the only sign that they had ever been there was a heart-shaped locket. It had a picture of a woman and her dog. That woman was my mother. That dog was Bella. No sign of any of the way it was. Barren land. I thought I would start to rebuild there.

This is what feels like home. Nowhere else does. But can I stay? Will I be sent to where my ancestors are, too? Is my mother and Bella there? Where is it that I would be sent? My dad used to joke about being a Heinz 57. He always thought he was Native American. Where is that then, where all the Heinz 57’s have gone?

I learned from an Anishinaabe man that there is a newly formed government, and I could get help to find my ancestors, my family. If I rebuild where my mother's home was, it may not be where I should build. I will need to guarantee that I will continue my work for the betterment of all people.

I would need to connect with the current government system. Survival is the goal, and we survive together, not alone. I will vow to be welcoming to all and to share what I build with others who may not be as fortunate as I. That is what is asked of me, and that is the government that was put in place.

All the people from the mission to the moon have left to find family and friends, and I hope they are doing well. Because of the duties on the moon, we all have ways of survival for now and well into the future.

It is the end of the world as we have known it, and I was thinking, isn’t that a song title from the 1900’s? Then, as I thought of all that could mean, there was a noise coming from one of my communication devices. “I am reporting on radio ME-SHINOB. The colonizers are all gone for now."

"Take your language and the old ways back. Take care of our Mother Earth. Follow our grandfathers/grandmothers’ ways. Take back the land. Live off the land. We will not be dependent on other countries for our lives. Elect community councils to bring peace and community to our villages."

"You will have the opportunity to visit your family and friends who have left. You will be supported to make those trips yearly. If you choose to leave, you may. There will be yearly visits from other places to our turtle island."

"If this message is not translated into your language, you will hear it in English until it is translated for you. For now, stay close to home. Spend time learning the language and cultural ways that were taken from you. Our seven grandfather teachings are available."

"Tell the stories from our ancestors. The true history will be available for all. The only people left on Turtle Island are here as they have ancestors and family from here.”

I heard this, and as I let this sink in, I hear drum and flute music. I will continue to listen to this and maybe find out where I should go to learn more about what others know. I am okay here for now. I will find family.

I am hopeful that the others have found their families and are with them now, either here or somewhere else. My next plan is to find out more about the stories of the 'Indigo' people and how they may be responsible for this new world order.

I am going to check into some of the things talked about on the Me-shinob station and try to find out where they are located. I want to see my family, whether here or somewhere else. Just as I finished those thoughts, I heard, "Anna Winnie," and turned around to see my mother and Bella!

Thank God, my family is here. I am so relieved. Now we can start our new beginning together!