November 25th, 2009 / 1:20 pm
Craft Notes

Writing/Editing Prompt: Kidnapping

le_kidnappedStep one: search through your files for two stories that don’t work. Find one that has a character you really like, but is otherwise uninteresting. Find another that works on a lot of levels, but is nonetheless dull.

Step two: take the interesting character and place her/him in the other story in some awkward way. Force her/him into a confrontation with the characters in the well crafted but otherwise dull story. Let the character be aware that she/he is in some way out of place, but not necessarily in a meta “I’m a character in a story, but I think this is the wrong story” sort of way. Unless that is what you want to do.

Step three: watch as the character attempts to escape. Watch as the dull story attempts to hold the character in the story because the story prefers this new, interesting element to its original, dull cast.

16 Comments

  1. Kidnapping Editorial « Almanacco Americano

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  2. mimi

      Is it possible to write a story about one part of oneself that one likes but is otherwise uninteresting, another part of oneself that works on a lot of levels, placing them together in some awkward way? Force them in some way into a confrontation with other characters in the story. Be aware that they are out of place in an “I think this is the wrong story” sort of way. Watch the characters all try to escape. The story attempts to hold the character…..etc etc etc
      ‘Cuz I’m thinking Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow with my extended family.

  3. mimi

      Is it possible to write a story about one part of oneself that one likes but is otherwise uninteresting, another part of oneself that works on a lot of levels, placing them together in some awkward way? Force them in some way into a confrontation with other characters in the story. Be aware that they are out of place in an “I think this is the wrong story” sort of way. Watch the characters all try to escape. The story attempts to hold the character…..etc etc etc
      ‘Cuz I’m thinking Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow with my extended family.

  4. mimi

      Is it possible to write a story about one part of oneself that one likes but is otherwise uninteresting, another part of oneself that works on a lot of levels, placing them together in some awkward way? Force them in some way into a confrontation with other characters in the story. Be aware that they are out of place in an “I think this is the wrong story” sort of way. Watch the characters all try to escape. The story attempts to hold the character…..etc etc etc
      ‘Cuz I’m thinking Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow with my extended family.

  5. Merzmensch

      Oh, what have you done?
      My both characters cannot see each other, even if they feel their presence. It freaks me out. Have you ever experienced the haunted kidnapping?

  6. Merzmensch

      Oh, what have you done?
      My both characters cannot see each other, even if they feel their presence. It freaks me out. Have you ever experienced the haunted kidnapping?

  7. Merzmensch

      Oh, what have you done?
      My both characters cannot see each other, even if they feel their presence. It freaks me out. Have you ever experienced the haunted kidnapping?

  8. Mike Meginnis

      I like this idea, but I think really it just makes me want to write about a kidnapping.

  9. Mike Meginnis

      I like this idea, but I think really it just makes me want to write about a kidnapping.

  10. Mike Meginnis

      I like this idea, but I think really it just makes me want to write about a kidnapping.

  11. Mather Schneider

      You should write about a mindnapping.

  12. Mather Schneider

      You should write about a mindnapping.

  13. Mather Schneider

      You should write about a mindnapping.

  14. Mike Meginnis

      They cut the brain out and put it in a jar?

  15. Mike Meginnis

      They cut the brain out and put it in a jar?

  16. Mike Meginnis

      They cut the brain out and put it in a jar?