A little late today, but it is still today.
For today’s writing prompt we will look at more practice opportunities to build up your scenes and develop your characters.
Just a simple one today as it is getting late. But I will throw my hat in the ring and take this opportunity to get more practice in, too.
Shall we jump right in?
January 28
Put a character in an unwinnable situation.
One thing that readers love is the hero (or anti-hero) being tested beyond seemingly human limits. Every character should be tested.
In most cases, though, the MC will reach down deep and get out of the situation, usually thwarting the antagonist in the process.
What happens, though, if the antagonist wins? What if Vadar had killed Skywalker?
That’s what we are working with today. Your protagonist, or hero, is in a situation where she cannot escape. She is going to lose.
While this in itself may not be difficult to write, it can be difficult to pull off. When working on this prompt, you want to make it a challenge, not only to escape the situation, but also to keep them there.
The whole time, of course, your reader needs to believe they can or will get out unscathed, and then, you drop the hammer. Escape is futile. The hero will lose.
Cue the tears.
When you have completed your writing task, post it in the comment section below the article so we can all see what you wrote!
Here is What I Came up With
The chains were adjusted. Tighter. Shelly screamed again, though not from pain this time, the blood leaving a stain down her cheek.
The chains dug into her flesh, ankles raw, wrists swollen, throat pinched.
Her screams came from memories. Back home before this all started. Her ex husband leaving her alone with two toddlers. What had he done?
She cried out from the memory of the vans pulling into her drive. The hoards of men in masks rushing in, pulling her babies from her arms.
They looked for Jake, but he was long gone. Five years too late. She didn’t know where he was. She had to get back to her babies, out of the confinement, away from these men.
The Interrogator leaned in again. His musty odor, mixing with sweat and desperation. His breath hot, voice hoarse and gravely.
“Where is your husband, Mrs. Blancard?” He asked.
Shelly bit her lips together and turned her head.
The Interrogator had had enough. No more questions. She didn’t know anything. After 27 hours she would have spoken. Even a lie to make the torture stop.
He pressed the barrel of his gun to her lips, pushing and forcing until her lips split open and her front teeth cracked.
When she let out a painful yelp he slid the muzzle into the back of her throat.
“It seems you don’t know the answers I need, and now you have become useless to me.”
Shelly’s eyes grew wide. Fear washed over her face. Tears mixing with blood rolling down her cheek. She tried to shake her head, to spit out the gun.
The Interrogator leaned back, standing up straight and looked away.
He pulled the trigger.
