This is my garage. It doesn't really matter if I vacuum it, tidy up, throw things away or organize stuff into logical categories - this garage always looks the same.
A few weeks ago I used the idea of a scruffy garage in a creative writing class. I asked everyone to write a story of approximately 1000 words about
'An item hidden in such a place.' Describe the garage, the person who hid the item, the reasons and so on.
The exercise produced some good results in the form of humorous stories and mysterious yarns. I could see that there was a lot of material to go at so I asked for another story -
'that of the person who goes into the garage and finds the hidden object when they are looking for something else.'
The second stories thickened the plot and there were good results in the form of dramatic ideas and outlines.
So, give it a go.
Write a story about a person who stashes something away in a garage. What have they stashed and why? Where is it? What do they hope to gain? When will they return for their item? The story can be funny, edgy, sad, serious, crazy....whatever you choose.
Next write another story about another person who goes into the garage and finds the hidden item mentioned above.
Aim for two stories that work together but that also stand alone. You could aim for a word count of 1000 words per story if you like but if the idea takes off don't limit yourself. If it evolves into a drama for the nine o clock spot let me know.
What does your garage look like?
Carmen Walton
