It’s a new year and time to stoke the fires of writing. Here’s an old prompt I came across while doing some housekeeping, and I thought I’d share it. My apologies to the original source, i don’t remember. Enjoy and I do look forward to reading your responses.

A character experiences a moment of intense emotion, either positive or negative. Without going into detail about how the character experiences this moment on an emotional or spiritual level, describe how the event affects your character physically (sweaty palms, tumultuous tummy, percussive hiccoughs). Through this physical response, show your reader the deeper, inner journey of your character.

Here’s mine: Lost Hope

gstatic images

Despair rolled over her like a slow-moving wave, pulling her under. She clutched at her chest as pressure mounted and a kaleidoscope of images tore through her mind. Tears, hot on her face, rolled down as her lips prayed for a morsel of hope. Finding none, she fell to her knees, releasing her pain in screams.