Maybe it's because it's Super Bowl Sunday, or because I'm hiding out from the cold weather, or because I'm also the editor of a trade magazine for the fitness industry -- or all three. Whatever the reason, "warm-ups" are on my mind today.
I know that many of you Writers Workshop members are looking for inspiration wherever you can find it, and that you consider writing exercises to be helpful, so I wanted to send two your way. Each one has to do with a "list" of one sort or another, and you might just happen to find an idea on one of them. (Oh, and we'll be taking a cue from the movies here...)
- Things That Make Life Worthwhile: In Woody Allen's "Manhattan," the main character ponders this topic and rattles off a rather unique list. Among them: Groucho Marx, the second movement of the Jupiter Symphony, Tracy's face. What five or ten things would be on your list? Chocolate-chip cookies that are fresh out of the oven? Tropical vacations? What would appear on your protagonist's list...walks in the summer rain without an umbrella or raincoat? Dog smooches? The moment the lights come on at the Eiffel Tower? The more original and off-beat, the better...These types of details can add depth and authenticity to your characters. (Plus, it's fun to imagine what aspects of life they might enjoy.)
-The Bucket List (or, things to do before you die): It doesn't have to be morbid; it's just a wish list on a grander scale. Maybe sky-diving would be a good launching point for a story about a long-married couple who's looking to add some excitement to their stale marriage. Or maybe a newly divorced woman who is finally going to get a tattoo -- an idea her ex-husband always hated. What about a recent college graduate who wants to travel to the beach in Normandy where his grandfather fought?
If you come up with anything you'd like to share, let us know!
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