Two weeks ago I talked about using superlatives in describing the characters in your story (read the tip). But what if you don't have a story, or THINK you don't have one to tell?
Often, we use "prompts" to help us get started on a story, i.e., a time you were frightened; your first day of school; the day you got married. These questions are meant to prompt a story to come forth within you.
Superlatives can be an even greater trigger for stories. Once again, good stories are about taking ordinary events and finding the extraordinary in them.
Consider the following possible prompts -
What was the WORST/BEST
Date you ever went on? - Meal you ever ate? - Job you ever had? - Vacation you ever had? - Day in your life? - Person you ever knew? - Advice you ever got?
What was the MOST/LEAST
Expensive thing you ever bought for yourself. - Money you ever made? - Glamorous Job you ever had? - Confidence you ever had? - Frightened you ever were?
Here are more ideas. Put the left and the right column together in different ways to prompt a story:
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Tallest; Smallest
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Smartest; Dumbest
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Poorest; Richest
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Kindest; Meanest
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Brightest; darkest
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Best; Worst
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Easiest; Hardest
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Person I ever knew
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Thing I ever did
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Moment in my life
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Relationship I ever had
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Teacher I ever had
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Boss I ever had
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Decision I had to make
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Mix and match, come up with your own lists. As an exercise, put each single, superlative on a small slip of paper into a small bowl. Write each event/action on a piece of paper and put it into another bowl. Take one from the superlative bowl, then one from the times/action bowl and craft a story based on that. Rinse and repeat!
- National Storytelling Network? You should be.
