Wednesday Writing Challenge: Blood on the Floor

Welcome to the Wednesday Writing Challenge!

Every Wednesday, I pose a new writing challenge here on the blog. These challenges come from books on writing, classes I've taken on creative writing, or sometimes just from my own imagination. If you're an author, hopefully they will help you get your writing juices flowing and help you improve your craft.

 

Some of these challenges may be very good ones or may include an element I consider highly important for writers to learn...so occasionally I may cycle through some of my favorites more than once. 

 

??  Want to Participate  ??

The Wednesday Challenges are open to all readers. In order to participate, simply comment on the challenge post with your response to the exercise. Not only is it good practice, but you could win something nifty and fun!

 

August Prize: A Lotus Petals journal

Including a personalized message from Brantwijn Serrah

~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 And now...

***Here's Today's Challenge!***

You are a character from your story.

You've just entered your home and found blood on the floor.

Why is there blood on the floor?

Is it fresh blood? Has it been there a while?

Whose is it? What does it mean?

What's going to happen now?

 

Here's the catch:

You only have 3 sentences to tell the story.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

***Hints and Tips:***

 

*You have limited space. Find ways to share multiple details in smaller phrases. You can tell your readers how long the blood has been there by describing the color, for example: fresh red vs. rusty brown (one is still wet, recently spilled, while the other indicates old, dried blood). If you tell them this, you don't have to also explain in terms of specific time.

*How do you feel? Convey your emotions through your actions. Panicked characters might immediately cry out for someone they are worried about. Characters who don't feel emotionally invested in the people in their home may not be concerned, and may simply raise an eyebrow in dry curiosity instead of immediately reacting. By showing your emotions through your actions, you avoid extra sentences wasted by telling how you feel.

* Cut unnecessary details. Are you afraid the blood belongs to someone you love? You don't have to tell us how you met, if you're married, or even what they look like. Not at this point. You can tell that to us later on in a more well-suited scene. For now, all you have to do is show us your love through the way you react. You'll react differently to this if its someone you love, someone you hate, a family member, a good friend...think about these differences.

 

Don't let those 3 sentences become long by turning them into run-ons. Find ways to convey more info in less words.