Fun Writing Exercise

We came up with a fun character at the writers retreat this weekend. His characteristics are listed below. See if you can write a first chapter involving this character. Give him a problem to overcome. It will be fun to see how different each chapter ends up with the main difference in character being what problem he is facing.

My students will receive 15 extra credit points for doing this exercise and turning it in this Thursday, April 6.

Character:
Name: Emmet Johnson
Age: 94
Spry, handsome, looks 70
Thin, jutting jaw, blue eyes
Lots of white hair
Strong grip (milked cows for 40 years)
Slightly deaf
Slight limp
Prostrate problems
Chews tobacco
Drives a Cadillac with steer horns attached to the front grill
Lemon pie every Sunday afternoon at Beckies
Takes his mule, Dutchess, into town on Saturday afternoons to share the Lord.
Lives in Billings, Montana on what was once a huge piece of land, now dwindled down to 20 acres

Emmet wants to take up hang gliding

He has three living children:
1 daughter, age 74, is his nurse. She burps a lot.
1 daughter is 72 and is a retired teacher like her mother who is now dead.
1 son is 53, the child of his true love after his wife died.
Emmet wears a flower in his hat, given to him by his true love.
One son was killed in Korea
Another child killed in elk stampede.

Emmet shot a man once, then he got saved.
He plays a mandolin and reads a lot.
He quotes all the time, quotes get really annoying to some folks.

Emmet is facing a problem that is consuming his thoughts . . .

If you e-mail me your chapters, I’ll be happy to post them.