On the days when I simply cannot buckle down and work on my novel, I want to at least write something by the end of the day.
So I look for writing prompts. I’ll shamelessly eavesdrop on conversations, trolling for a line of humorous dialogue or at least a good pun. I am not sure if a grocery receipt in a pocket or the back of an old flyer on the floor of my car count as writing tools, but they are great for recording stolen snatches of conversation or a new idea for a character’s next move.
the weirdest idea came to me
But one day there were no writing prompts falling out of the sky onto my writing tablet. I was sitting out on my verandah revelling in the lilacs and magnolias in bloom, and sort of wishing Spring didn’t have to end so soon.(as opposed to winter snow and ice which could end the day after starting).
And then the weirdest idea came to me: what if the storyline of Spring didn’t end like that: tulips shrivelling, lilac buds turning brown, magnolia blossoms raining to the ground. What if I could re-write Spring?
Which then led me to the next thought as a writer and lover of books: what if I did a writing prompt exercise re-writing endings I didn’t like in books?
Red Riding Hood and the Wolf
Imagine it: Anna Karenina, Old Yeller, Game of Thrones, The Name of the Rose, – I’m sure you have your own list. I could write the endings I wanted; the characters I loved would get what they deserve: to prosper and live happily ever after! It was fun, and immensely satisfying. Ha! Fie on you, – authors with your tragic endings – Red Riding Hood and The Wolf pick flowers for Granny on the way to her place, they all have a lovely impromptu picnic at the cottage and live happily ever after!
Well, that’s just an example.
So try it. Begin at the end. Choose an ending you don’t like, and take it from there. It’s a different kind of prompt writing exercize, but you may find yourself enjoying the power of re-writing a character’s history. We may not always be able to create happy endings in real life, but we can do it in our writing.
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