Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Writing Games: What Would They Take?

If an unforeseen disaster struck, what items would a certain character
take before running for the hills?
    There's a very classic writing prompt that basically goes like this: The house is on fire and you have five minutes to grab some important items before fleeing, so describe what you would take and why. It's good for describing objects and for prioritizing what's really important to a person, and with a little spin on this writing prompt, it could also be great for developing characters in a story-in-progress.
    If there was a sudden emergency at a character's home (it could be something like a fire or a tornado, or a need to go on the run before the hour is up), and they had five minutes to grab some items, what would they take? How long would it take them to get these things, and would they have any difficulty getting to items? If the house is on fire, going up into the attic or down into the basement would be highly dangerous, and if one item is locked in a combination safe, it might be better to leave that item and take four others instead.
    The prompt could be even more interesting if the character doesn't have a house though, like if they live at a campsite or if they're staying in a hotel room temporarily. This could make their ability to reach items easier and quicker, but it could also make leaving the area more difficult, and change their priorities. For example, someone staying at a hotel wouldn't have the space in a suitcase to fit a blanket or more than one spare set of clothes, and someone living on a mountain might need a lot more time for getting away from the area.
    So which character would you pick; the protagonist, antagonist, or a minor character? Which items would they choose? Would they actually pick the most important ones, or forget vital items they'll need? What are the character's priorities, and how prepared are they for the unexpected?

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