Storytelling (summer holidays)

REALITY

The Day - Describe some activity you did or place you went this summer

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The Journey - How did/would you get there?

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The Companions - Who were you with? Who would you want to be with?

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The Plan - what is a thing you did/wanted to do?

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The Best Moment - describe the best thing that happened or what you would hope would happen

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The Worst Moment - something goes wrong. What happened? What could happen?

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The Unexpected - something happens you weren’t expecting… what is it?

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The Discovery - you discover or see something you’ve never seen before.

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The Stranger - you meet someone you’ve never met before. Why do you remember them, what is they could do that would be memorable?

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The Object - pick an object that comes to mind when you think of the place (it can be as random as anything) - describe it

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The Secret - someone or something on the holiday is hiding a secret, what is it?

REALITY

The Last Day - it’s the final day you’re there, how do you say goodbye to the people/the place?

DESCRIPTION

Zoom In - start describing the room or the wider space and slowly zoom in until you’re describing one tiny detail of something there

DESCRIPTION

Zoom Out - start with one tiny detail on the person/place you’re in, gradually zoom out to reveal the whole space

DESCRIPTION

The Weather - describe the weather around you, the temperature without using the words ‘sunny’, ‘rainy’, ‘hot’ or ‘cold’

DESCRIPTION

The Sound - describe a sound your character suddenly hears, don’t name what causes it immediately

DESCRIPTION

The Smell - describe a smell that was potent on your holiday, or that you imagine this place would smell like

DESCRIPTION

The Light - have the light change in your scene - from nature or a lamp, etc - how does it change the atmosphere?

DESCRIPTION

The Colour - choose a colour, make it describe a feeling your character is experiencing

DESCRIPTION

The Contrast - put something beautiful next to something disturbing

DESCRIPTION

The Simile - describe something you saw/might see using a simile from what you can see now

DESCRIPTION

The Metaphor - describe how you felt/how you might feel using a metaphor

DESCRIPTION

Personification - give something in the setting human qualities

DESCRIPTION

The Transformation - describe a place or a person, and then, in a flashback or forward, how its different from what it was/will be

LANGUAGE

Ban ‘Said’ - write a dialogue of 5 lines without using the word said

LANGUAGE

Ban ‘Go’ - describe your character moving to a new place without using go (or any of its tenses, e.g. gone, went, going, etc)

LANGUAGE

Power Verbs - find three verbs you’ve already written, replace them with ‘powerful’ verbs that are more vivid/experimental versions of what you’ve written

LANGUAGE

The Short Sentence - through the next three prompts, include at least 3 sentences with no more than three words

LANGUAGE

The Long Sentence - over the next 3 prompts, include one sentence that is deliberately long to build tension or a sense of confusion

LANGUAGE

The Rhetorical Question - include a question, in your own head, or given by someone, that provokes a feeling rather than needing an answer

LANGUAGE

Rule of Three - describe something using three chosen detailss

LANGUAGE

Alliteration - in your next description include an example of alliteration

LANGUAGE

Repetition - somewhere in your next three prompts, repeat a word or phrase three times that builds a sense of something

LANGUAGE

Emotion Ban - describe your emotion but only through action - you can’t name it

PLOT TWIST

Lost Object - something important disappears

PLOT TWIST

Strange Message - you receive a message meant for someone else

PLOT TWIST

The Follower - your character realises someone has been following them

PLOT TWIST

The Mysterious Object - you see/find an object you don’t recognise

PLOT TWIST

The Wrong Place - you enters somewhere you shouldn’t

PLOT TWIST

The Warning - someone or something warns you about something mysterious

PLOT TWIST

The Double - you see someone who looks exactly like you

TECHNIQUE

In Action - begin halfway through an exciting moment

TECHNIQUE

In Dialogue - your next word must be spoken by a character

TECHNIQUE

A Sound - a sudden sound interrupts

TECHNIQUE

Flashback - stop the story and take the reader back to an earlier memory linked to your current day

TECHNIQUE

Flash Forward - give the reader a glimpse of something that will happen later

TECHNIQUE

Time Lapse - move through several hours or days in only a few sentences

TECHNIQUE

Slow Down - take something that only lasts three seconds and describe it in great detail

TECHNIQUE

Change Perspective - pick someone or something in the space, describe what they see/hear in that moment

TECHNIQUE

Cliff Hanger - use dot dot dot to create a feeling of suspense of what happens next

CHAOS

The Animal - an animal suddenly bursts into your story

CHAOS

Power Cut - all the lights and electricity go off

CHAOS

Weather Change - the weather suddenly changes drastically

CHAOS

Time Stops - everything around you freezes

CHAOS

HELP! - your character hears a shout for help somewhere in the distance