Writing prompt: Grandfather’s chest

Your grandfather has died recently. You clear out his house and find an old chest full of photos, letters and memorabilia.  What do you find that surprises you? What’s the explanation? Tell his story. Feel free to use another relation if you prefer. 

There is an opportunity here for some fascinating research: 

·         Look at the era your grandfather lived in.

·         Which big events happened? 

·         Think about the family life he may have had – which mementos of that do you find?

·          Is this an excuse to visit museums, look for old post cards and letters, and visit old houses?

Think about the form you will write in:

·         Will your character find the box and tell the story from there?

·         Will you dive straight into a diary or a series of letters?

·         Will you just tell the story, using a first or close third person point of view?

Idea for your writing group:

Prepare cards with lists of about half a dozen items that might have been found in a grandfather’s chest. Each person has to write a story based on the information on their card.

 

Food for thought

Objects of their time often tell us much more than when people try too hard to rationalise. So, think in terms of a bus ticket, a cinema programme or the adverts that surround an old newspaper clipping.  Also, consider why the grandfather or other relative kept those particular items.    

 

Critique of Dance Lessons by Zoe J. Osik

 

Dance Lessons

You or your character are learning how to dance. What brought this about? Are they [GJ1] dancing with a partner? Is the partner a friend, a stranger, or an instructor? How do you or your character feel about this? What dance is being taught and how familiar is it[GJ2] ?

Inspiration

Are there any dances you like to watch or have always wanted to learn? Look at videos that can help you visualize the movements. Ask people you know about their experiences with dancing, or pull from your own! There are many dances to choose from—why not learn a new one, too[GJ3] ?

Diction

Diction plays a large role in the interpretation of our writing. Will you use technical language to be exacting, or will you use flowery language to capture the feeling? How would you or your character feel executing dance moves to a specific rhythm? Is it choppy or are the movements timed like clockwork[GJ4] ?

Pacing

Is this a slow dance or a rumba? Will it leave your character breathless or anxious? How does this affect the structure of your story? Is there time to show interactions between movements or is there hardly enough time to think?

Does the story end when the dance does or does it continue on[GJ5] ?

Form

Will you write a scene with descriptive narration, a poem with its own movement,[GJ6]  or a script that shows each character’s tension? Whose perspective will the story be told from? Will there be more than one point of view?

You could even write the story strictly from the perspective of the dance partner! This gives you the chance to observe how your character reacts to the scenario from an outside perspective[GJ7] .

Happy writing[GJ8] !

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 [GJ1]I find it a little odd how you change person. I actually think that the second person throughout would work rather well.

 [GJ2]Indeed, asking questions of the reader is quite effective.

 [GJ3]Inspiring

 [GJ4]This seems an odd change of topic.

 [GJ5]So, you are comparing dancing with writing. I think this needs to be made a little clearer.

 [GJ6]A key word – it belongs both the dancing and writing?

 [GJ7]A very good idea – and this does bring the two disciplines together.  

 [GJ8]The concept here is intriguing – comparing dancing and writing. You need to be bolder in saying this. There ae some good ideas but you are a little tentative. You make some good points. 

 

About the author

 After studying European literature and fairytales, Zoe J. Osik decided to make magic of her own. When not delving into a new book, she enjoys illustrating, cooking Italian food, sewing stuffed animals, and binge-watching her favorite shows with her husband and their bunny.