Start at the end

Here’s a quick ‘n’ dirty game to spark off a brand new story idea:

1) Grab a novel from your bookshelf

2) Flip to the very last page

3) Copy down the very last line of the story

4) Detach it from its narrative context and come up with a brand new premise

5) Don’t think too hard about it – just go with your gut – all you need in include is:

• At least one character
• A least a passing description of the setting/circumstance
• At least a hint of conflict

Got it? Good. Below you’ll find a handful of good ‘uns to get you started…

“Tomorrow I’ll think some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day.”

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

“The eyes and faces all turned themselves towards me, and guiding myself by them, as by a magical thread, I stepped into the room.”

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

“I am haunted by humans.”

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

“And the ashes blew towards us with the salt wind from the sea.”

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

“The knife came down, missing him by inches, and he took off.”

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

“She was seventy-five and she was going to make some changes in her life.”

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

NOW, YOUR TURN:

Pick an ending, flip it, turn it into a new beginning, and make it your own…

Set a timer for 20 minutes and GO GO GO!

Posted in: Short fiction

By: Jo