Once Upon a Time Again

Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter — What if? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers prompts —

The Exercise -

Write a linear story, in which a strong main character is on a quest for something important and specific (e.g., a shelter for the baby, medicine for a sick mother, or the key to the storehouse where a tyrant has locked away all the grain from a starving populace). The object is given - don't explain its importance. The main character starts acting immediately. She then meets a (specific) obstacle; finally, she triumphs over the obstacle by means of a magic or supernatural element that comes from the outside (like Dorothy's red shoes in The Wizard of Oz). You may introduce minor characters, but the narrative should never abandon your main character. This story should be told through action and dialogue. Limit: 550 words.

The Objective -

Like a medical student who must learn the names and location of human bones before going on to more complex systems, a beginning writer must be able to handle and control basic plot before moving on to more subtle elements like motivation, subtext, and ambiguity. Many of the greatest novels incorporate a quest (Moby Dick), a journey (David Copperfield), and triumph over an obstacle (The Old Man and the Sea). These works also concentrate on one protagonist and end, if not happily, at least on an emotionally satisfying note of resolution.

"Grandma, can we read this story again?" Well, okay, but right after I read it this time, it is bedtime!

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there were two sisters.... Almost as soon as I finished with those words, they were both sleeping. I got up slowly, putting the book on the shelf on the way out of the room. I went into the livingroom and there sat their dad.

After talking briefly about what I had just done and how the kids wanted a story for the second time but didn't stay awake for even one page, I told him that I was going to write a story for a class I was in. I explained that I was having some writers block lately and he really could help me with this story.

He thought about it for a while and said, "Well, you finished reading the story and promptly fell asleep yourself. End of story!" I couldn't believe he said that and so I smiled and walked out of the room. I'm sure glad he isn't my writing partner, and he can't draw or paint, sometimes he can rhyme and sing but it won't help me here and now.

After going through all of that, I sat down to write. And this is what I came up with. Once upon a time, a long time ago, there were two sisters, and four brothers. They lived in the country, and raised chickens, cows, and had a few crops. They had a very busy farm life.

The girls loved playing with the chickens and two of the boys took care of the cows as they were milking cows. Their baby brothers were small and the girls would watch the boys when their mother was busy cooking.

Okay, so my mother helped me with this story. It is similar to the stories she told when I was growing up. She read to us all of the time. She loved to read and we loved hearing her read. Then she had many stories from the culture that she told. Most with lessons that would be important to learn.

So, when it was my turn, I read those stories to my children and now, my grandchildren and great grandchildren. That is really what makes me want to write more stories, both fiction and non-fiction. Somehow my own life stories always get into my fiction stories, like what is happening now.

I'm trying to learn to write fiction without my life experiences coming into it. I'm not sure that is possible, but I plan to keep trying, for the rest of my life. And it is a good life!

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Author's Note: Just in case you haven't noticed in my stories, it isn't always following the directions exactly as written. But it does help me to sort some things out for myself. So every exercise and objective is helpful!