As we move towards spring, here is a brand new creative writing prompt to inspire your creative processes! Choose a comfortable place in which to write, and take care to read all the instructions below before you begin. If you follow the prompt carefully, you may have a complete short story – or piece of flash fiction – by the time you are done.
“Finally, I Told Them the Truth.”
Write for 30minutes, beginning with this creative writing prompt. Try to stay in scene for at least the first few paragraphs, introducing your main character and the people in their life as they prepare to tell ‘the truth’. Remember that we pique the interest of our readers by continually offering them ‘hooks’, so don’t be tempted to reveal too quickly what ‘the truth’ actually is. Instead, offer the reader character details, intriguing setting and a tense atmosphere to draw them into the mystery even further.
Just as your character launches into their big revelation, pause your narrative, and move the reader into the past. What we learn in this flashback should alter our perspective on the big mystery. What happened in the past that led them to lie to everyone? What was ‘at stake’ for your protagonist? When did they decide to keep the truth a secret?
When you return to the present, your reader should know more about your protagonist, and what brought them to this moment in their life. We should be even more invested in what is about to happen. Ask yourself: if your main character lied in the past, why are they choosing this very moment to tell the truth? Characters need motivation for everything they do.
Finally, as your character tells the truth to everyone, something should happen that neither they nor the reader expect. This is always important in any story. No one wants an ending that is easy to predict!
A Note About Short Story Structure
“All stories contain a beginning, middle and end, just not necessarily in that order.” This is something my writers often hear me say! This prompt is a great example. The writer launches us into the middle of the story – the point at which action is about to occur. We flash back to the start, and see what brought the main character to this moment… and then we return to the middle, and see the story through to its end.
About This Creative Writing Prompt
In my creative writing classes, and on my creative writing retreats in Costa Rica, England and Mexico, I like to intermingle prompts and techniques, the way this writing challenge does. Writers undertake a creative writing prompt together that also highlights key elements of the creative writing process – in this case, short story structure, the importance of hooks, rising action, stakes and character motivation.
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Julie
