What if (part one).

Birth and Death

-Her eyes were closed, covered in goo… she had little hairs sprouting from the top of her head… 10 fingers, 10 toes… now where the hell was her dad?

-His hands were cold, face white, body still, just like mine.

Love and Hate

- I couldn’t stop thinking about him, he was always on my mind, was this love? Or lust?

- They said the first few months would be like a honeymoon… they were wrong, it didn’t last but a few days.

Rich and Poor

-Credit cards extended from my fingertips, I was unstoppable.

-I sighed as I looked at the kitchen table, papers piled high, reminding me of how deep in debt I had become.

Where were you last night?

“where were you last night”, she hissed. I looked at her, with a frustrated heart. I sighed, turned around, and never looked back. It had all become too tiring.

Where were you last night, read the letter addressed to me. There was no stamp, and no return address. Who wanted to know, I thought?

Changing your life (rewriting the story in different voices).

My mom had cancer when I was 4. My sister and I were left with the neighbor lady. We were at McDonalds in midway one day, and I got spanked. I don’t remember what I did wrong. I was mad that she spanked me, after all, she was not my mom.

Jane had cancer, so I was in charge of her two kids. The older one obeyed the rules (and me). The younger one was only 4, but she could have been better behaved. I spanked her once, because she wouldn’t quit bugging me. Damn kid, wasn’t even mine, I never signed up for this.

I tried to take care of my little sister when my mom had cancer. I was 11, old enough to take care of a 4 year old. Our neighbor helped out, while mom was gone, but I didn’t much care for her. She was always stepping on my toes. Didn’t she know that I was supposed to be in charge of my sister? Mom left me in charge.

Ways to describe age:

Crows feet (around the eyes)

Age spots

Sitting a certain way (like they used to)

If her joints ache

If she eats dinner early

Any “quakes” in her voice

The typical “old lady” voice

Use of old language

Type of shoes (old lady nurse shoes)

Blouse/Cardigan?

Hairstyle

What she smells like (old lady smell)?

How many pills she takes

What the pictures in her house look like (b&w)?

Any grandkids running around?

Any drawings by kids/grandkids?

What kind of stories she shares (about war, the depression, etc)

Naming your characters:

Petty thief: Robert Wagner the Third

Bitter woman: Katrina Grosslova.

Shy young man: Sanjay Sharma.

Lecherous boss: Jerry.

Lottery winner: Miss Louise.