animal life

[Adapted from Stephanie Barbe Hammer’s writing prompt from the Mount SAC Writers Weekend 2018]

This structured writing prompt draws its inspiration from Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, in which the main character wakes up to discover that he’s been transformed into a cockroach. If you follow it, you’ll find yourself writing a story filled with marvelous surprises.

The trick to this prompt? Don’t skip ahead. Just respond to each little prompt section as it comes up and then move to the next one.

1. Name 5 things you do when you get up in the morning.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

2. Now, name 5 awful forms of employment/jobs.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3. Finally, name 5 big, small, beautiful, ugly, ridiculous and/or cute animals.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

4. Now, choose a job from your list and an animal from your list.

animal:

job:

5. Begin writing a story where you or a fictional character wakes up, transformed as that animal—but you or your character still has to get ready for work.

• Have your character wake up in their transformed state. Describe how the character feels in their transformed body. (3-5 sentences)

• What’s the weather like outside? (2-3 sentences)

• Why does the character hate their job? (1 paragraph)

• For what pressing practical reasons does the character stay in their terrible job? (2-5 sentences)

• Bring in another character—roommate, spouse, lover, or parent—and have them nag the character to get ready and get to work, without seeing what they look like. (2-5 sentences)

• Describe the details about how the character is getting ready for work. Use the list of details of your own regimen. (2-5 sentences)

• Bring in ANOTHER character: roommate’s sibling, lover, or other parent or someone else entirely disconnected who nags character to get ready for work but who doesn’t see them.

• Return to describing how the character is dealing with getting ready for work in their transformed state (2-5 sentences)

• Character goes to work and character’s boss/supervisor arrives but they don’t see the character yet. (1 paragraph)

• Now the boss/supervisor sees the character in their transformed state for the first time. Describe both physical and vocal reactions (2 or more sentences)

By now, you should have the beginnings to a truly strange story. From here, you can either take the story in a direction of your choice, or follow Stephanie Barbe Hammer’s extended instructions for completing the story.