Wednesday 8 April 2020

Writing Prompt – FEAR! Writing Out Our Worries.



Everyone gets worried or scared from time to time. The way things are at the moment means there is more than usual to worry about! Often it helps to distract yourself by doing something you like, but sometimes that doesn’t work and the only thing to do is to face those fears and acknowledge them. 

I find that the simple act of writing down what’s bothering me can help. It’s almost as if some of the worry is actually transferred from my head onto the page! OK, I know that probably sounds hard to believe, but give it a go – you might be pleasantly surprised.

Another thing you could try, is to write a story or poem, or draw a comic strip, about a character who is afraid. Sometimes it’s easier to give your feelings to someone else and help them to work it out.

When we watch a film or read a story about someone going through a scary experience – we share their anxiety and fear. But when we see the character survive and emerge stronger for the experience, we realise that it's possible to get through these things and can feel more able to deal with our own fear.

TIP – Stories get good when things go bad for the main character! 

So, in this story your character should find themselves in a situation where they are forced to face their greatest fear. This will give you instant TENSION and CONFLICT – two essential ingredients for a story that will keep readers turning the page.

Remember Indiana Jones in the film Raiders of the Lost Ark? He suffers from ophidiophobia – a fear of snakes. So when Indy finally finds the location of the Lost Ark and is lowered into the chamber, what does he find? Snakes – of course! But Indy keeps going, he gets past the snakes and survives.

One final thought – not being afraid doesn’t mean we’re brave. Courage is when we face our fears, despite being scared.

Good luck and take care.

Best wishes
Dave

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