What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers

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

The Exercise:

Choose a central dramatic incident from your life.

*Write about it in first person, and then write about it in third person (or try second person!) Write separate versions from the point of view of each character in the incident.

*Have it happen to someone ten or twenty years older or younger than yourself.

*Stage it in another country or in a radically different setting.

*Use the skeleton of the plot for a whole different set of emotional reactions.

*Use the visceral emotions from the experience for a whole different storyline.

The Objective:

To become more fluent in translating emotions and facts from truth to fiction. To help you see the components of a dramatic situation as eminently elastic and capable of transformation. To allow your fiction to take on its own life, to determine what happens and why in an artful way that is organic to the story itself. As Virginia Woolf said, "There must be great freedom from reality."

Choose a central dramatic incident from your life.

The granddaughters and I spent the day at the slide park. Huge slides all over the inside of this huge building. Kids all over. There were even busloads of kids waiting in a different line.

When we got there, we stood in line. We could pay for 90 minutes or 120 minutes, and we had to buy socks. I can do this for an hour and a half. Probably no more than that, though.

The total price for the girls was $69.67. It is a good thing my son handed me a hundred-dollar bill! Well, that was until it took another ten minutes to get my change. The girls were so anxious to get started that when my change was counted out, I wasn't paying attention.

Then I noticed that I received a large roll of bills and saw a bunch of dollar bills. I thought, did they give me all dollar bills for change? Okay, I will deal with it once they are sliding and quickly put it in my pocket.

The young woman working at the checkout gave me 69.67 back in change! Oh no, her money tray will come up short! I have to return it! I subtracted $69.67 from the $100. I gave her, and that was my change. I pocketed that money. When I got to the counter, no one was there but one young woman.

Next thing I knew, there were three workers there with a manager and the shift boss, all listening to my story. It was simple, but it got blown out of proportion. The poor young woman who made the mistake is going to be in trouble.

~~~

Write separate versions from the point of view of each character in the incident.

I see this woman approach the counter and wonder what she wants when she attempts to give me a wad of cash. I greeted her and asked her why she was giving me the cash. When I understand her, I tell her I will have to bring my manager over to see how to handle this.

Then she tells me, I will owe her a penny as there weren't enough pennies in the change she was given. Can you believe that she wants me to give her a penny?

I let my supervisor know what happened and asked her to help me with this. She is not sure what she can do, but she is willing to come to my rescue.

After hearing everything I told her over again from the woman, she decides to get the shift boss to find out what to do. He stops over, no big deal, says a few things to my supervisor, and casually walks away.

My supervisor thanks the woman, the cash register is opened and I give the woman a penny. Boy, is Sarah in trouble.

~~~

It is one busy day, and I don't have time for a customer complaint. Okay, so it isn't a complaint, but rather a nice old woman trying to return some money that she was given that she shouldn't have been given.

But wait, I'd better double-check with the shift boss and make sure there isn't special protocol to take the money back.

After telling him the story, it is no big deal, we thank the woman for returning the money, and we are done. I will have to speak with Sarah now though. I suppose it is a mistake anyone could make. Some day we won't be working with cash at all. I know some places already aren't.

~~~

Now what? Sally fills me in. Protocol? No. Okay, no big deal! I have to get on with more important matters. You can handle this Sally. I sure appreciate honest people. Make sure you thank the old woman!

~~~~

Have it happen to someone ten or twenty years older or younger

Wow, can you believe my luck? I only had to pay thirty dollars for two kids to slide at the slide park. That woman didn't know what she was doing when she gave me all that change back. I'll try bringing a hundred-dollar bill again next time!!

Wish I could get those girls to leave early so I can go out and buy a few things.

~~~

Hello, I'm calling because when I got home, I was looking through my receipts and realized I was given too much money back. Can I put it in the mail as I only take my granddaughters to your park once a year?

I was just too busy hauling the water and sweatshirts around, and getting them to the slides as quickly as possible, as they were so anxious that I didn't pay any attention to the change I got back until I got home.

I just might be too old to keep bringing them around alone.