Creativity Muscle Workouts: The Unexpected
Jun 23, 2022
The UNEXPECTED is always a great tool in writing.
Whether it's...
- An unexpected outcome
- An unexpected setting
- An unexpected feeling
- An unexpected death
- An unexpected presence
- An unexpected emotional response
It's powerful. WHY?
Because you surprised your audience and that's delightful. It's the TWIST...
Now I say SURPRISE... not SHOCK! Delight not violate. So the WAY you employ the unexpected must work for your audience.
Therefore today's creativity muscle exercise is to use the SAME prompt as day 1 and go in the opposite direction.
- If in the woods, you went to frightening... then go to pleasant.
- If in the woods, you went with to sadness... then go to joy.
- If in the woods, you went with to horror... go with childlike.
- If in the woods, you went with to serious... go with humorous.
- If in the woods, you went to environmental... go with gluttony.
Tell the UNEXPECTED ending... and have fun inventing something that surprises even you.
Creativity Muscle Exercise #2
Same place... UNEXPECTED ending... No limitations other than let this UNEXPECTED run away and surprise YOU.
As the sun set, the light between the trees flickered with golden tones. I love the woods at dusk. But tonight was different...
DEBRIEF:
- How did writing the opposite of what you expected feel?
- Was it comfortable or uncomfortable to write in this genre, emotion, or action? Or did this take you to a space that's really uncomfortable?
- Did you surprise even yourself with what happened there? If so, what surprised you?
- Was it more about the environment, the other characters, or action?
- What was hard about writing this story? Why do you think that part was hard?