Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Three Words #1

An old friend of mine, Erin, and I used to play this games that I know as three words. The way it works is you get a list of three words and have to write a story that incorporate those three things. One such activity gave rise to a very interesting story idea that is currently in the running for being my next project. I liked this exercise so much I thought I would share with all of you.

Here is how it will work. I will post three words and anyone who would like to, can post their stories (or snippets or summaries if you wish).

You can also post a list of three words for me and others to use. I will choose one (or more) of the lists posted by others and write my own story which I will post the following Wednesday.

Since I don’t have three words from last week – I am going to use the same list my friend Erin gave me years ago and write a short piece for you.

Three Words

  • Staff
  • Harp
  • Belt

Flash Fiction

Using the Three Words: Ring, Bubble, Snake

The snake’s eyes gleamed in the faint light. She froze with her hand outstretched. Dare she approach? Every fiber of her being screamed to run, to pull away, escape. She could not. All her hopes for success lay there, just beyond the coiled serpent.

It lunged for her and she withdrew her hand narrowly escaping a deadly bite. She rubbed her hand relieved to be unharmed. Her fingers brushed against the red stone of her ring. She looked down at it.

"If only…" She mused to herself. Imagining the snake recoiling from a wall of flames. The red gem flashed and she felt a warmth against her face. Looking up, she saw a wall of fire between her and the snake. The snake hissed at her and then drew back leaving the way clear for her.

A small laugh of joy and relief bubbled up from her throat. Cautiously she slipped passed the wall of fire and the angry snake. Reaching the far end of the hall she slipped through the heavy wooden door she found there.

"Safe." She breathed with relief.

4 comments:

  1. I've seen another blogger do this using three words she learned from a dictionary site. I've never played the game myself, but I might give it a try sometime :)
    BTW, congrats on joining Facebook. All you have left is the leap to twitter!

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  2. I would love to see the other blog! And thanks for all the encouragement. This web presence stuff is a little overwhelming for an introvert like me :)

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  3. I like the idea of this game, it reminds me of when I was elementary school and my teacher would give everyone a blank page with a few doodles, and we had to turn those doodles into an illustration, and write a story. I love that everyone sees it differently. I can see the Fantasy theme in the three words Staff/Belt/Harp, but I saw them going somewhere different - Maybe a modern story, a young teen who has lived in a foster home or has been adopted after a rough childhood. This family has far more money than her single drunk father had. They lived in a trailer with one room off limits because the floor had fallen in. She ate tuna and peanut butter sandwiches when times were good. After coming to this new family she worked hard to forget her childhood. The provided everything she needed or wanted, including siblings, friends, household staff, her own bedroom, limitless food, and harp lessons. Her father once told her that her mother played the harp, and she had always wanted to play also. At her first recital she has a major setback her her psychological recovery when a man sitting on the front row is wearing a belt that reminds her of the one her father beat her with. She has a horrible nervous breakdown, and is unable to perform...

    Or I imagined a historical setting, with a single young woman playing the harp for the callers in the parlor, while the household staff serves hors d'oeuvres, but she is distracted by the slightly exotic man visiting with Mrs. Madison, as it appears he is wearing a belt made from the skin of a reptile. How dangerous!!!

    Or maybe Harp isn't a musical instrument, but to dwell on persistently or tediously in speaking or writing...That opens a whole new window of possibilities...
    Love it!!!!

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  4. I am glad you like the game, and I love all of your ideas! As you can see three simple words can spark a hundred different story ideas.

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