THEN SUDDENLY

Writing Exercise - Your Alternate History

I’d love to say that I’m religious about writing exercises. I’m like the Richard Simmons of writing exercises… well, except for the hair… and the shorts… and the actual exercising part…

Okay, I’m not very religious about anything other than procrastination. You can always count on me for that. Regardless, here is an exercise I have used in the past:

Write an alternate history of yourself. For instance, were you ever at a crossroads and chose one way over the other? Do you regret going down the path you chose? Do you wonder what your life would be like if you hadn’t? Write about it.

You can go back as far as birth or as recent as yesterday. What would have happened if you decided to go to medical school? Would you have discovered a cure for cancer? Would you be the doctor who performs Justin Bieber’s paternity test?

What would have happened yesterday if you had stopped for that double expresso caramel mocha with whipped cream and the little Heath bar crumbs on top? Would you have been late for work and gotten fired? What then? Would you have found a winning lottery ticket on the ground outside Starbucks?

Don’t be afraid of digging up some painful memories or choices. What would your life be like if you had not gotten that abortion? What if your best friend had survived the car accident you caused?

The possibilities are endless, which is what makes this a great exercise. And because there are endless possibilities, your imagination has plenty of room to run around.

When you are done, try the same thing with one of your characters. Maybe their alternate history will prove more exciting and useful than the one you have already devised.