Kangaroo

I have to admit, I really struggled to come up with a K writing warm-up, so leant towards something more obscure for the A to Z Blogging Challenge.

I give you... K for Kangaroo.

The first one was a tame wee thing, in Australia Zoo, but I spotted the second one casually hopping around a rugby park! Look at those claws, all set for disembowelment...

1. Imagine you're taking a short cut through the woods when, out the corner of your eye, you see something approaching you (it doesn't need to be a kangaroo). Write what happens next, building up suspense of whether it's going to attack you or not. Does it turn out to be friendly? Does it lead you to a grim discovery? Does it rescue you from an even bigger danger in the woods?

2. Sketch a mind-map using the key word as the nucleus, then branch out in whatever direction you please. You might find yourself going in completely unrelated paths (which I personally prefer). Do a five-minute freewrite incorporating as many (or few) branch words as you like. Here is my mind map (created using the SimpleMind app on my phone).

3. Choose one of the following sentence starts and freewrite for a few minutes, letting the words tumble out without a second thought:

• He filled the feed dispenser with the sedative... he didn't want to risk a repeat of yesterday...
• I clawed the human's fragile hand as I lapped up the treat...
• I moved the kangaroo steak around the plate, loathe to try it under their amused, testing gaze...

I find it best not to read my freewrites for at least a few days. Why not stuff them in a drawer and surprise yourself? It's blatant evidence that our minds work in mysterious ways. Plus, I defy you not to find an array of story seeds amongst your work.

Do you have any writing warm-ups you'd like to share?

Take care,
Catherine x

Note: All photo prompts in the A to Z Challenge 2013 are my own. Feel free to use/copy/share to your hearts content. Help yourself. :)

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Kangaroo