Have you ever participated in an ice-breaker activity at school or work? If not, it’s a fun way to get to know people and it’s usually played at the beginning of a class or meeting. The idea is to “break the ice” of formality and make people more relaxed by asking them thought-provoking or sometimes plain silly questions.
A popular ice-breaker activity is “Would you rather. . .” questions. For instance, would you rather vacation at the beach or in the mountains. Or would you rather only eat SPAM® or peanut butter for a whole year?
Pamela’s Prompt: Would You Rather. . .
For today’s prompt, set a timer for five minutes and write at least two sentences to answer this question: Would You Rather Have the Ability to Fly or the Ability to Fluently Speak Five Languages?
Ready? Set. Go!
Would You Rather. . .questions allow our imaginations to run wild. Yes, it might be exciting to have the ability to fly. No waiting in the TSA screening line at the airport. No sitting in front of a child who kicks the back of your seat on your long-haul flight. You could fly anywhere, anytime for free.
On the other hand, having the ability to fluently speak five languages could be beneficial as well. Think of the possibilities. You could conduct business practically anywhere in the world or become an interpreter at the United Nations. You could travel the globe with confidence.
Would You Rather. . .questions are ones we should ask the characters in our writing as well. No matter your genre, these questions can help generate plot points, sources of conflict, action scenes and more.
“Ask” your characters Would You Rather. . . questions before you begin writing a scene. Here’s an example. Let’s say you have two characters: John and Jane. You’re writing a scene in which they first met at a coffee shop.
Here are some questions to ask John:
- Would you rather be running late to work and well-dressed or on time and sloppily dressed?
- Would you rather spill your coffee down your shirt when you first met Jane in line for your mocha latte or realize later that you forgot to remove the bit of toilet paper from your face where you nicked yourself shaving?
Here are some questions to ask Jane:
- Would you rather initiate a conversation with John while standing in line or wait for him to speak first?
- Would you rather be a high-powered New York attorney or the CEO of the coffee shop chain?
Then, begin brainstorming other questions. What might John and Jane say to one another? How might they interact in way to propel your story forward? How might this meeting at the coffee shop alter the plot? Is this meeting going to end in a positive or negative way?
Asking your characters “Would You Rather. . .” questions is a great way to jump-start your writing session.
Happy writing!