Writing Sketchbook

Murder Scene: The murder occurred in a park, at night. Apparent suicide with a small gun. A well known detective. The victim's house has been broken into and searched.

Sarah put a hand on her mouth, and shut her eyes tight. She was well aware that it won’t help her be more quite. But somehow, on a strange level, it helped her feel invisible as a large shadowy character tore through her grandfather’s apartment. It was a small two bedroom apartment on the third floor. Sarah hid in the closet of the guest bedroom. It seemed to have been visited by the intruder already, and she hoped that he would not come back for a second look through.

Romance: The relationship begins when two people that frequent the same cafe for lunch accidentally spill coffee on each other. One of the characters is currently in a relationship. Love has no secrets. One of the characters was adopted at a young age.

“Oh, no! I’m such a mass. I’m so sorry…” Nora was vigorously rubbing the chest of a stranger with her sleeve, trying desperately to make the fresh stain of coffee disappear.

“It’s alright...” the stranger tried to comfort her.

Nora disregarded this attempt. “I can get it dry cleaned. There’s a place right around the corner, I can take it there now! Wait...no...you might need your a shirt now...do you need this shirt now?” She asked, her sleeve still struggling to soak the stain.

SciFi/Space: You are within a densely populated city on a colonized planet. The reason for the ship's / colony's existence has been hidden from its occupants. Your character has trouble adjusting to their new life. World War Three resulted in one globally unified government.

“Move to Pluto, they said. It’s the hip place for young professionals, they said. Well it doesn’t look like anyone is really interested in this young professional.” Nick pointed two thumbs at himself.

This gesture didn’t seem to amuse the administrative assistant with whom he was sharing his woes. “I’m sorry, Mr. Frankford. But the other candidate was simply better qualified for this position. But we will gladly keep your resume on file, should any more appropriate positions open up in the future.”

“You do that, Ms. Botinelly. You do that.”

Fantasy/Magic: You are in an abandoned city. You are a bounty hunter. Precognitive abilities allow you to turn deadly events into useful situations. You must find rare magical ingredients for a cure.

Two orcs leaned against a gate at the entrance to an old city. The dark night was lit only by a few camp fires tucked behind the walls of the city. No doubt belonging to the friends and companions of the fine two gentleman, Largs and Norb, currently leaned against the gate.

“He always asks me about my future plans, you know?” Offered Largs, hoping to entertain his companion.

Action/Thriller: You are in a hotel room. You have an important photograph in your pocket. You are being followed throughout the story. You must deliver sensitive information.

I looked through the curtain. It was as dark outside as it was in this small hotel room. The damn heat took out the power in the entire block. Sweat rolled down my brow. I told myself it was the heat, but a persistent voice in the back of my head urged me to get my shit together. I’m supposed to be a professional. At least that’s what the sign I glued to my door said. A certified private investigator. The fact the my certificate was for HVAC repair and maintenance was just a small omission I had to propagate in order to get this first gig. Besides I only had a few weeks left on that online Criminal Justice degree. I’m practically an expert by now.

SciFi/Space: You are on a deep-space rescue mission. Your character becomes trapped within a simulated consciousness without realizing it. Your character is an influential government figure with access to almost everything. Humans in the future are genetically modified to be perfect.

“Madam President? President Krishna? Ma’am…?” The voices vaguely registered in her subconscious. It was the last things she heard from the physical world. Her mind began constructing an alternate reality almost immediately.

Horror/suspense: The climax occurs at a cottage where a character seeks refuge. An old superstition is uncovered and put to the test. An investigative journalist . The lights begin to flicker.

This was a terrible idea. Robert knew that long before he found himself in the attic of this abandoned cottage. Yet following terrible ideas to terrible places has been part of Robert’s job description as a journalist for quite a while now. He always felt that the purity of his pursuit for uncovering and shedding light on the truth has attracted the attention of a great unexplainable force; always protecting and guiding him. But tonight he feared that even that force did not dare to enter this place with him.

Romance: An introduction made by a close friend sets up a romantic relationship. One of the characters is afraid of making a commitment. Opposites attract. The characters bond while going to a place that holds sentimental value.

They both showed up to cheer-up Robbie after a rough breakup. Even though they were best friends with Robbie for years now, they’ve never met. Robbie was convinced that the universe would implode if they ever do. They’ve heard stories of each other though. Many stories. None of them seemed to convince the other of the necessity for an introduction.

Fantasy/Magic: You are living in an evil and corrupt city. Your character is reclusive and has no status in society. You have two pet dragons. You must unite humanity under one leader to face a larger threat.

Zorn was petting a red scaled beast resting on his lap. I could almost swear he was purring. The dragon, that is. A second dragon was curled up next to his feet. This might have seemed charming if the two pets were not fire breathing devils, owned by an antisocial magus who was only ever seen in public twice. Both times are generally regarded as not the most pleasant visits. Although that was before the new party arrived. The definition of pleasant has since shifted. Not for the better, might I add.

My friend and I talked about the habit of writing. How hard it can sometimes be to keep writing my project. Even when I know exactly what needs to happen on that page, the words escape. Yet the invariable you'll hear from any writer is that you must always write. It must become a habit. But how?