Posts Tagged ‘fiction’
So, in less than two weeks now, my debut original novel — Blackbirds — enters into the world. Hopefully with a mad flutter of wings and not the thud of a dead crow hitting the windshield of a parked car, but that’s a thing that’s out of my control. What all this means is, today we’re talking about death.
Normally, this challenge is about utilizing brevity — be it a 1000 words, 100 words, or three sentences — to tell a complete story. Well, not today, my little red balloons. Today, I just want a single sentence. I want to read the opening line to a story. One you’re just making up now.
No, you needn’t write fiction in which you lie to yourself, but you must write fiction in which the characters lie to one another. Your task today is to make the core conflict of the story based upon or orbiting around a terrible lie. If your story features no such lie, you will be ejected from the airlock and forced to fight space sharks.
The key is, when writing, to never abandon the setting — do not go outside of it. Further, make sure that the setting helps to drive the story. The setting should almost be a character in its own right. Bring it to life. You have — drum roll please — 1000 words. Story due in by Friday, noon (EST), March 30th.
This week, I talked a bit about creativity and said that it was the fire we stole from the gods. And I thought, “Hmm. Fire.” Fire. FIRE. Excellent. Last week I gave you words, this week, I give you a title: Your story will be titled: “The Fire of the Gods.” And that’s it. That’s all I demand of you.
