What If Exercises - Week of 3/30

Section 1 Beginnings

1. First Sentences

A loud whip like crack broke the stillness of the forest startled a bedded deer nearby in the brush. As quick as the sound came it was gone.

5. Ways to Begin a Story

A loud whip like crack broke the stillness of the forest startled a bedded deer nearby in the brush. As quick as the sound came it was gone. Not usually curious, the deer pushed herself to standing, the leaves rustling as she exited the brush. Her neck slowly swung to her left and right pausing to listening for the source of the unfamiliar noise. Silence again reigned over the forest, nothing moved, the only sound she heard were the chirping of crickets the distant muffled sound of the waterfall. She took a few cautious steps over to natural crevice formed by the earths crust pushing up the ground. when a blinding white light streaked down the length of the crevice and shot up into the sky accompanied by a high pitched whistle. Terrified she reared back on her hind legs and spun around as the ground rumbled beneath her. She could hear the loud splitting of rocks as she tore through the brush, bounding over fallen trees and sprinting as fast as she could away from this place. Fortunately, she did not see or encounter the large shadow rise from the crevice. Others would not be so lucky.

Section 2 Notebooks, Journals & Memory

8. People from the Past; Characters of the Future

Scott was an ass. I never had much interaction with him except for that short time in seventh grade when he decided I was going to be his target. Scott, with his shaggy, dirty blonde hair and skinny limbs was never much a bully, unless he had a group to back him up. For some odd reason, he picked me as he ‘weakling’ for the day in gym.

The red rubber balls were slung through the air by adrenaline pumped arms aiming for moving targets. Generally, the idea of trenchball is to hit the people on the opposite team. Scott must have missed the rules or just didn’t care and was throwing his ball at my head and making comments that stung. After just hitting me in the back with his ball he walked over to pick it up and shoved me in the back. I regained my composure and with all the blood rushing into my head I cocked my right arm and swung my fist into his face. Too bad for him he was wearing glasses. I was not the strongest kid in my grade by a long shot, but he never expected that shot. I never saw him much after that.

Occasionally, I find myself thinking whatever happened to that bully. I haven’t heard of him except rumors that have floated through many mouths. He was drinking a lot, a heavy user of drugs and even had a kid or two. Come to think of it, I don’t remember him at our high school graduation. He is probably living in some run down apartment with his live-in girlfriend (who isn’t the mother of his kids) drinking Busch Light, chain smoking and watching the game show network. In a few more years he’ll be locked up for trying to rob a convenience store for his fix of alcohol and then he’ll know what it is like to be someones’ bitch for a change.

1. Mining Memory

Things that made me angry

1. My building principal who accused me of making mistakes over my wife’s disability.
2. Not being able to wrap my mind around concepts that require me to think logically, namely math.
3. Getting two tickets to last summers Jimmy Buffett concert, booking a hotel room and then having the mother-in-law back out and refuse to watch the kids. I ended up selling those. All of a sudden my mother-in-law was free to come and visit if there were no responsibility.
4. Shoveling in the winter and getting my shovel stuck. I couldn’t move the stupid thing. I was pissed.
5. I try to have patience, but when I need to give directions to students (generally the same ones over and again) multiple times because they were not listening, talking or just plain ignoring me and when they do something wrong it is somehow my fault.
6. This 7th grader in one of my sections of art. She just has this attitude that rubs me the wrong way. I have never wanted to be rid of someone so bad in my life.
7. Sitting in a movie theater and having people talk loudly through the film, mainly about topics that don’t relate to the movie in any way.
8. Completing assignments for class that I cannot connect to. If I cannot find a connection, boy, I get frustrated fast and take it out on everyone.
9. My wife asking me if I am grumpy. Maybe I come across as grumpy, but I’m not. When she asks me if I am, that just burns me. No offense hunny. I love you lots! Perhaps I should just work on my demeanor.
10. When I am trying to fix something and whatever it is I am doing is not going right. At times a piece may be stuck or something else broke or something won’t attach right. I don’t like it, but I get mad very quickly and maybe even toss in a few obscenities for good measure.

Section 3 Characterization

1. Funny - You Don’t Look Seventy -Five

• Hairstyle
• How he carries himself
• Color of his teeth
• His voice - is it deep or higher
• The tone of his skin
• Musculature/physique
• Where does he go on Friday nights?
• Style of clothing
• Color of hair/facial hair
• The color of the whites of his eyes

1. Naming Your Character

• Peter Feldspar
• Narim Sinn
• Carter McCloud
• Xavier Pembrooke
• Reb Ryoat