Would you like to join a free-writing exercise to help build your skills at incorporating conflict into your work? I attended a writing session years ago when the following exercise was shared. It’s a shame I can’t remember who to credit for the idea but it’s a useful tool that I return to time and again.
Use the following prompts to help you write a scene based around a broken promise.
- What is the promise?
- To whom was the promise made? Why is it important to this person?
- Who made the promise? Why? Was it something they were forced to promise or did they want to make it?
- Why did they break it? What was so important, they had to break it? Now go deeper, why did they really break it? (Look to the character’s fears, wants and needs. Identify something that is so painfully vital that they can’t keep their word.)
- What happens when it is broken?
- Who finds out? What is their reaction?
- What are the repercussions of breaking the promise?
I suggest you spend 10–15 minutes in getting your ideas down. Who knows where this could lead?
Good idea – I’d like to try this in my Work in Progress!