Any who, she will sometimes post "Writing Challenges" on her blog with various prompts - giving her readers a chance to strengthen and stretch their imagination. Feeling motivated and a bit creative (and thus unmotivated about doing laundry and grocery shopping) I decided to give it a try.
Please submit 250-300 words on the following prompt:
--Two characters who intensely dislike each other are stuck together in a room due to a natural/apocalyptic/supernatural disaster.
Please evoke these characters, and tell us something about why they are in the room together (i.e., what is happening outside). Let me point out that this is perfect practice for INTRODUCING and EXPLOITING conflict--it is conflict, and subsequent reconciliation, that causes tension and makes books interesting.
And this is my "shot" at it.... let me know what you think. (I hit 300 words exactly!)
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Carly was exhausted.
It was day two post impact and everyone’s nerves in area 35 were frayed. The contingency plan was to divert the meteor that had been taking its aim at the state of Virginia. “Diverting,” unfortunately, changed its course to Indiana, not the intended result.
Carly pulled her curly blonde hair into a messy bun and rubbed her eyes. Her family had urged her to participate in the “lottery.” It was unknown if those on the surface of the Earth would survive initial impact, so the lottery had been coined, “the lottery of life.” After an extensive physical, Carly had been notified that she had received space in area 35 and would need to fly there immediately.
Her room consisted of bunk beds and a desk. She was free to walk around, but had no energy or will to explore the underground bunker. Carly had heard that her roommate would be delayed due to paperwork issues, but she hoped there would be a misunderstanding, leaving her with a room to herself.
Carly eyed the monitor on her steel desk. The feed on the screen was grainy at best. The monitor would give her a view of the outside, if and when the air cleared. Currently, she saw nothing.
A thick wave of fatigue enveloped Carly as she became entranced by the speckled screen.
“I would say it’s a pleasure meeting you, but unfortunately I learned that lesson years ago.” A deep southern drawl filled the room, and Carly’s eyes flew open as she nearly toppled out of her chair.
Carly became immediately alert and glowered.
“Travis.” She hissed.
“I thought I had survived the impact, but it looks like I am already in hell.” The gentleman continued with purplish circles casting a sickly shadow under his dark eyes.
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1 comment:
You're a great writer. And I love that idea for a challenge. Very cool.
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