Writing Challenge

So, here's my first challenge.

This is where I challenge you to do something with your creativity. It's not a contest, it's just a test of your skills and limits.

But since this is my first one, I'm going to give you something relatively easy. Hopefully it will inspire you more than anything.

This contest is for the writers here. Though if you can take the challenge and apply it to something else go right ahead. This is not here to limit you.

So. Writers.

The first requirement of this contest is to find something. Something within a movie or TV show.

Have you ever been watching something and a moment or a scene or an emotion just hits you. Something that makes you go "Yes! This is the kind of thing that I want to write!" Or maybe something that pierces your heart and makes you feel exactly what the character is feeling.

I have these moments a lot if I am watching a really good show or movie. Ok, they happen when I'm watching a cheesy or not so good show or movie too, but that's not the point. The point is that I usually end up wanting to do something with these moments. Not to copy them or plagiarize them, but to be able to give that same reaction with my own writing.

But often times it doesn't fit into my current project. So instead I plan them for a future project. or just use them as plot bunnies.

What I want you to do is to find a moment (or more if you want. I'm not holding you back) and write it out.

Once you have done that I want you to take your characters either from your current project or a future project, or even just your own made up characters, and put them into the scene instead.

I'll give an example in case you're confused.

This is a scene that I wrote out from an old cowboy TV show called Alias Smith and Jones.

“Why don’t you want us here?” Heys asked even as Mary turned his back to him and continued crying, “You’ve fired us and then hired someone to beat us up and run us out of town. Why?”

Mary continued crying. Kidd watched as Heyes vented his frustration out. The dark bruise on his face telling more of the story than his words ever could. Even now Kidd felt his own face throbbing from where he was beaten last night.

“I can’t tell you.” Came Mary’s delayed reply as she turned around to face them again. Tears still stained her face.

“Why not.” Heys said, taking the opportunity to grab the lady’s shoulders “Please, we just want some sort of explanation.”

His actions and demands only frightened Mary more and she cried harder, bowing her head down and away from Heys.

Her reaction caused Heys to freeze, as though he had just realized what kind of situation this woman was in. His actions would not help her.

His grip loosened on her shoulders and became a gentle touch. Mary continued to cry, almost harder.

He let his hands fall away, realizing that touching her wasn’t helping in any way. He needed to comfort her. His mind searched for a way to calm her down. He looked back at Kidd and noticed the decanter of wine on the table behind him. He turned and poured a cup. That’s what always calmed him down. Maybe Mary was one of those women who would drink wine to calm herself down. In any case his action of filling the cup and bringing it over to her gave Mary the time to calm herself down.

He offered her the cup, but she shook her head. Heys set it down on the desk beside her.

“You don’t know anything do you?” Heys asked. His voice soft. Understanding.

Mary shook her head and calmed down enough to look him in the eye.

“Why didn’t you just leave town when I fired you?” She asked. She still sounded terrified, but not of Heys “We could have avoided all of this.”

“We were worried about you.” Heys said, “But I see now that it wasn’t you we needed to be worried about.”

Understanding filled her eyes, even as she continued to cry.

“I guess we’ll be leaving then.” Heyes said.

Together Heys and Kidd left, sorry for the distress they had given Mary

Interesting scene right? Right. I'm not even sure why this scene stuck out to me so much. Maybe it was the harsh anger that smoothed to gentleness as soon as Heys understood what was going on. That being so harsh was actually causing more harm than good.

In any case I took this scene and changed it up a bit. I have two characters that are engaged that are going to go through quite a bit of roughness, not just in the relationship but in their everyday lives and the lives of the people around them. This is what it looks like now.

”What are you doing here?” Javan asks.

Katelyn pauses, opening her mouth to say something and then shutting it again. It’s not like she had a choice in the matter.

“I left so that you would be safe from me.” Javan continues his voice growing harsh “I’ll do nothing but hurt you. So why are you here?”

“I didn’t have a choice.” Katelyn replies.

“Someone else brought you here?” Javan asks, putting his hands on her shoulders. As if doing so will draw the information out of her.

The action only frightens Katelyn. She doesn’t shrink away though. She looks him right in the eye and lets him see her fear of him.

Her reaction causes Javan to freeze, as though he suddenly realized what she’s saying. She was captured and brought here, which means she’s been through a lot. His actions aren’t helping her at all.

His grip loosens on her shoulders and become a gentle touch. One she might have expected from the man she’s engaged to.

His hand slide down to his sides and he lets out a tired sigh.

“I’m sorry.” He says, “You shouldn’t have to go through this. This is all my fault.”

Not sure what to say Katelyn just nods her head.

“I’ve made so many mistakes, Katelyn.” Javan says “And I’ve hurt you in so many ways. You didn’t deserve any of the things I’ve done to you. Is there any way I can make it right?”

Katelyn lets out a sigh, her eyes searching Javan’s face for an answer.

“How about you explain to me what you’ve done and why you did it.” She says, “Then we’ll decide if you need to make anything up to me.”

Javan nods, accepting her reply. He does owe her an explanation. He owes all of us an explanation.

Doing this may seem pointless to you. But for me it helped me better understand my characters. It gave me an idea of how to work out the plot of their story.

And on top of all that it got me writing something. After I wrote this I was able to write quite a bit on my current project.

I will probably never use this. I might use the idea or it might not even fit in the plot I eventually figure out. Either way it has given me practice conveying emotions I want to use as well as practice writing the personalities of m characters.

So, after all that, this is your challenge:

1. Find a moment/scene in a movie or TV show that has something you want to convey in your own writing.
2. Write out the moment/scene with your own words. How can you best convey the moment that sticks out to you?
3. Take your characters and substitute them into the scene. Fit the scene to the characters and their situation and even their personality.
4. Share it with me! Please :)

You can put your results in the comments or email them to me at grinderlauren@gmail.com.

This might not be a contest but I would love to read what you come up with! I want to see your creativity! I also want to see how different you might do it from me or what kinds of scenes stand out to you.

Just remember that if you post them in the comments make sure they follow the rules.

I can't wait to see what you can do!

~Lauren