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Bug's Life

Red Blue Yellow

Random Prompt No 2

Down in the cellar, she couldn't see it yet, but she could hear it. Unmistakeable. Tapping on the glass portholes. Rain. It had been so long ...

Random Prompt No 1

“Bullet in The Brain”

Want to test out a character for your novel or short story?

Try this:

1. Listen to the story, 'Bullet in The Brain,' by Tobias Wolff. It's a New Yorker podcast, here. It takes less than 20 mins and includes an interesting discussion at the end. Or read this pdf version,  Download Bullet
2. Pick out a point of irritation for your character - something everyday like the bank teller closing her position when there’s still a long queue waiting to be served.
3. Write for twenty minutes about this moment. Have your character react but then escalate the reaction to a full-blown outburst. Push the idea until your character is under extraordinary pressure. Watch what happens…
4. After 20 minutes what has this revealed about your character? Could you make a short story using this material? Might it add a point of tension in your novel?