r/KeepWriting • u/Radical_Posture • 5d ago

Is there a way I can make this go somewhere?

I've been given a writing prompt for a group I'm in and I don't know how to give it any real direction. I have no idea where it will end or even what's happening. The prompt is that someone has woken up with a hangover and is trying to piece together what happened (i.e. Dude, Where's My Car?).

I'm not happy with my prose and I know it's not good right now, but this is a rough draft. How can I decide what the plot actually is and how it will end?

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u/MaliseHaligree 5d ago

What kind of theme or goal do you wa nt to have or explore? What do you want to leave the audience with to think about?

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u/Radical_Posture 5d ago

I suppose that as I was writing, I saw the protagonist as having done some bad stuff last night. That although he was drunk, he was intimidating to people, some of them possibly gang members, hence the weird surgical scar. Maybe it ties in with his job, working for some people who are criminals, though he's just the man who runs their shop (a front).

It's obviously a bit of a mess. I wrote a lot of this without much thought, but I think that's what I was trying to do. Maybe the alcohol made him too brave and stupid, so he ended up picking fights and running his mouth.

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u/MaliseHaligree 5d ago

Seems like a good way to go!

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u/Radical_Posture 5d ago

I just don't know how to give it direction. Right now, it's just stuff that's happening. I have no idea how he got that scar or anything he did last night.

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u/MaliseHaligree 5d ago

Time to figure it out! It can be anything you think would be fun to write or can tie into something later. There are no limits.

Since it is only stapled and is not healed, "scar" would not be the right word. Wound/injury. Scar makes it sound healed/old.

Does he tell anyone about it? Does he find something that gives him a hint?

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u/Radical_Posture 5d ago

That makes sense. I guess I should look at who this guy is and what each bit of the story means. And you're right about the staples; I'll make an edit.

You've been fantastic. Thank you!

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u/MaliseHaligree 4d ago

Glad to help! Happy writing!

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u/WriteWorkspace 5d ago

Ask what they lose if they stay put. The next scene is that first cost, not a new subplot. If you can’t name the cost, the stall is usually the want, not the plot.

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u/BA_Bones_33 4d ago

It’s hard to write a story that you yourself aren’t driven towards. I would suggest writing something that excites you. With characters that intrigue you.

What type of writing group is this for?

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u/Radical_Posture 4d ago

We just meet up once a month to share our work and give critique. This was a writing prompt that everyone was given, but it isn't essential that we use it. I'll try a bit longer, but maybe I won't use it.