A Hands-up!

Blog post – 16^th April 2014

 

This is an exercise that can be done anywhere – on a bus or train, in a supermarket or in a café.

Focus on a pair of hands. Think about the following:

What is the first thing you notice about them? For instance, is the person wearing a lot of dramatic-looking silver rings? Are the nails an intriguing shade of purple? Or are the nails bitten and ragged?

• Jot down a few details – including a few lines about where you’re sitting. Use the senses. Think about what you can smell, hear and taste.
   
• Write a brief biography for the person (approximately 150 words). Without staring at them too obviously, think about the clues you pick up from their behaviour, voice and how they are dressed.
   
• For the third part of this exercise – go into reverse! For instance, if you’ve created a nice character from the hands you’ve observed, think about doing the opposite. What if the nails are broken and the hands ingrained with dirt – or blood? What has that character been doing?

Find a way for the two characters to meet in some way. For instance, what if character number two is a long-lost parent, a being from another planet or a murderer? What happens next?


See how many story lines you can create.

Sue Johnson