writing prompt: begin in the middle of things

This is a concept we talk about in workshop quite a bit—beginning a story in media res. It’s a great way to plunge the reader into your story and get them excited to see how it all turns out.

For today’s writing prompt: Write about a time you experienced a shock of realization. Begin your story as the shock is already taking place.

For a look at a short story that does just that, check out the beginning lines of Amy’s Bloom’s “Love Is Not a Pie”:

In the middle of the eulogy at my mother’s boring and heartbreaking funeral, I began to think about calling off the wedding. August 21 did not seem like a good date, John Wescott did not seem like a good person to marry, and I couldn’t see myself in the long white silk gown Mrs. Wescott had offered me.