TuesdayTips173

Today’s #TuesdayTip is another Block Buster – a short exercise to either bust your writer’s block, or just a fun writing challenge to practise your skills.
For many of us, our new year resolution is to write more. But, January is a funny old month. After the celebrations of the holiday season, followed by the rubbish weather in the northern hemisphere, then the endless stretch to payday, our creative juices can prove elusive.
But sometimes, all we need to get us back on track is a little kick-start. A catalyst to get things going.
Today’s activity is designed to do just that.
Make up the backstory of a person you see in the street.
Whether you are out and about doing chores, or perhaps having a well-earned coffee on the high street, the chances are that you’ve spotted some random strangers recently. People you know nothing about. A brief glance, with no meaningful interaction. A blank canvas, if you will.
So invent their story. The piece can be as long as you like. They might become a fully-fledged character in their own right, that finds themselves in a longer work, or just the subject of a couple of paragraphs speculating on who they are and what their story is.
If you need a little inspiration, here are a few prompts to get you going.

• An older person – did they serve in the war? That elderly woman with a Zimmer frame, who looks like a cuddly great grandmother, might have spent the Second World War labouring under the Official Secrets Act to crack Nazi codes. Perhaps the elderly gentleman queuing in the Post Office did his National Service in a far-flung part of the world?
• That happy looking couple – what happens behind their closed front door?
• The two women chatting in a coffee shop. How do they know each other? Are they new acquaintances or did they meet at school and have all sorts of adventures before settling down?
• That business-looking type juggling a takeout coffee and a mobile phone as they scurry down the street. Where are they  going? What is their job?
• The lone person at the bus stop scrolling on their phone – what do they do for a living? What’s the secret they only tell their loved ones?

Everyone has a story to tell.
Important caveat: As tempting as it is, DON’T TAKE THEIR PHOTOGRAPH.  Not only is it creepy, having access to a perfect image to draw inspiration from will be counterproductive. If you just catch a glimpse of this person, then try to recreate them later, your memory will play tricks on you. Your imagination will be forced to fill in the gaps. No good for a police lineup, but perfect for a piece of creative writing.
Have fun!
Remember the rules:

• Set yourself a time limit.
• Write without stopping, editing or overthinking.
• Write whatever comes to mind and don’t worry if it doesn’t make sense.
• It doesn’t matter if it has nothing to do with the scene that you are stuck on.

If you are a writer with a tip to share, or fancy writing a fictional interview between you and one of your characters, please feel free to email me.
All the best, Paul.