Story Institute Imagine Your Stories Again…

Dogs are great companions and closer to us than we would like to admit sometimes. The soft fur, the floppy or pointy ears, the panting, the growling, the cold nose. All of these connect with our canine pals. Are you thinking about the puppy you got when you were young? Are you reflecting on the neighbor’s pooch? Either way, focus on the connections he brings.

Think about the color of the fur. Think about the emotional connections. Think about the new collar you gave him for his birthday. Does the barking keep you up? Does it wake you up? Does a cold nose nuzzle up to your bare arm in the middle of the night and want to spend more time with you?

Whatever your canine connection, delver further into the beast than what it looks like. Connect to the friendship. Connect to the invisible collar. Connect to the emotion it brings. Remember poems are simple, but have all the power of a story in a little, tiny space. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…

“Autumn wins you best by this its mute appeal to sympathy for its decay.”

Robert Browning

You’ve seen adventures that begin in a snow globe. How about one that is ignited by the spark of a flame and moves with each new candle lit. With certain flames, we are afforded the opportunity to join the residents of this randomized world. For the people within the spark, the light in one candle can represent years or decades.

Is there night in this world? What are they people like? Who do they represent? Can you find the flame anywhere? Or, is stored in a secluded area and only available to a select few? Where do you find an exit? Do you try? Or, do you enjoy the centuries within?

Decide on the path. Decide on the transportation route. Decide on the stories within. Decide on the path you follow and the path you lead. Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…

“Don’t tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.”

Mark Twain

Shucking corn had always been something Mary and her family did. With husks and little “hairs” lying together in a heap on the table, they never noticed the even thinner wisps of light that seemed to fade and float away…Where do they go? What are they? These little creatures are actually the ones who take care of the crops and nurture every kernel. The hairs left behind are the remnants of the threads they leave behind.

When Mary was 9, she thought she saw something float away and wave to her. Her mother dismisses it as a rogue ray of light. During this fall festive season, 12 years after that first experience, she picks up a new cob. Her sisters and relatives continue to talk. Her mind has begun to drift as she thinks about what she wants to do with her life. This time, however, the ray of light does wave, it stammers and lands on her nose. Mary still did not notice the creature until two others are lifting the injured one toward the window. Mary jumps up and just stares into the bright sunlight…

What happens next? Does it inspire Mary? Does she tell the others? What is their reaction? Does Mary try to track down another? Does she know where these creatures reside? Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…

“Ideas come from curiosity. When I settle one idea, my confidence takes command; and nothing can shake it, and I am constant to it until it comes a reality. Then I drop it abruptly, and rarely mention it again.”

Walt Disney

Life is the big city is tough enough. However, when a grown man starts seeing unicorns, elves, and trolls, life becomes even more difficult. He can not explain or share with anyone what he sees or why he sees it. However, this poor soul has watch the trolls throw tacks on the roadway and laugh as tires exploded over bridges. He has observed the elves spray painting on the sides of buildings. He has even seen a unicorn lick the top scoop of an ice cream cone and cause it to fall to the ground, leaving a mother to deal with a crying child.

Why can he only see the creatures? What else happens that other beings are influencing in our world? Is he the only sane one? Or, is the random bad luck incidents being lead by our imaginary friends. Do we share this space with other beings we thought were only part of stories?

Decide on the path. Decide with whom he shares his experiences. Decide on how his visions influence his outlook on life. Decide on how each connected incident is an intricate part of our everyday lives. Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…

“Everything is exactly as it is for a reason. The crumb on your table is no mystical reminder of this morning’s cookie, it is there because you have chosen not to remove it. No exceptions.”

Richard Bach - 2004 Messiah’s Handbook - Reminders for the Advanced Soul

A boat has landed on an island far off in a lake. Not an ocean, but a lake. The island, however, has palm trees and the beach found off the higher seas. From where did this place pop up? Why hasn’t anyone ever heard of it? How did you get here? Walk around the island. Share what you see.

Talk about the swaying trees. Talk about the fine, grainy sand. Talk about the random small creatures you see as you ponder to yourself. As you reach a cave, write about whether you seek shelter in the darkness as high clouds bring the darkness all around you as well as a rolling wave of water.

Decide the fate of the day. Decide the interactions between the mind of the character and the surroundings. What is real? What is fantasy? What is part of the island? What is part of your imagination? Do you need to wait until the end of the story to understand if the island even exists? Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…

“No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else’s draft.”

H. G. Wells