Prompt #6:
In paragraph form, narrate the process of washing hands. Go methodically through the steps, but try to avoid using the actual words, “Step one, step two,” etc. Let the directions flow in story form, but don’t add characters or other details. Just show the process.
Prompt #6: Challenges:
Wait… what? More than one challenge?! Yes, yes, there are TWO challenges for this one, but you need to choose only one of the two–the one that suits you best.
Collaborative Challenge:
Grab a partner or two and ask them to help you with a little experiment. You’ll read your Prompt #6 step-by-step instructions for washing hands, and your partner(s) will, in real life, do EXACTLY what you wrote. And I mean EXACTLY. Instruct your collaborative team not to do anything that isn’t included in the words you wrote. If things get weird, you’ll know you missed some steps. Once everyone stops laughing, revise your paragraph and try the same experiment on a new person to see how well your revision went.
Solo Challenge:
Take the hand-washing paragraph you have written and add in the thoughts of the person washing their hands. If the person is you, then write what you would think as you wash your hands. If the hand-washer is someone other than you, make their thoughts consistent with who they are and their context. In either case, feel free to bring in a narrative frame.
For this solo challenge, experiment with form. Do you want to put thoughts in italics? Although if someone is handwriting the prompt, I suppose underlining would be best. Do you prefer to introduce thoughts directly? I wondered as I became conscious of just how cold my hands actually were.
Let me know how it goes. I can’t wait to read these. Upload your writing in the comments.
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