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IWW
Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: Get Over It!
These exercises were written
by IWW members
and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its
members.
You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that
you found
them at the Internet Writers Workshop
(http://www.internetwritingworkshop.org/).
Prepared by Kathy Highcove
Posted on: November 3, 2019
Posted on: January 8, 2023
In 400 words or less, create a story built around a character’s need
to address an old grievance – or a difficult experience – and move on.
______________________
Introduce a character who has had a rocky, perilous or unpleasant
experience that left a scar on their psyche. Perhaps another
character - a relative, partner, boss, teacher or even a complete
stranger – treated the protagonist unfairly and the injustice was
never addressed and never forgotten. Or perhaps the main character
once made a serious faux pas or acted rashly, and has been haunted by
this lapse ever since.
Your story should present the problem, then build tension and show the
need for relief. What action does the protagonist take to fix the
problem? Or does he/she?
There are many ways to react to this prompt. It could be a
heart-breaker or a comic anecdote – or a bit of both. Use vivid
imagery and/or expressive dialogue and work toward a satisfactory
ending. Or you might create a story that leads toward a later
resolution.
______________________
In your critique, tell the writer how you reacted to the story. Did
you feel the emotion, the tension and the need for a resolution? Did
the ending satisfy you? Would you read further?
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Greg Gunther.
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