For Friday’s writing prompt, a short challenge. Below are three fairly generic passive phrases. Your goal is to make them active in a short scene, either fiction or non-fiction. You can choose one, two, or all three to play with, but you only have 100 words.
- [he/she/I] was devastated by […]
- [feeling] was experienced by […]
- [person/thing] was possessed by […]
Passive vs Active Voice
During my childhood I experienced fear many times. In this particular instance I was in my teens and came out of my bedroom and headed towards the stairs to go down. Directly in my path was a full-length mirror. You couldn’t help but look into it as you went past and turned left towards the stairway.
There was something different with the mirror that day. As I stared in horror, I realized that it wasn’t my reflection in the mirror, but that of a teenaged boy of another era. A ghost possessed my mirror. I fled down the stairs.
Yes, a possessed mirror would be terrifying. I’d run, too 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you for reading! I “see” dead people….LOL!
LikeLike
Haha! That was great. A really creative us of the prompts. I would love to see more… 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you! I will keep my creepy stories in mind for future prompts. 🙂
LikeLike
Oh my, creepy! Good job!
One tiny misplaced comma: “You couldn’t help but look” doesn’t need the comma after the word help!
LikeLike
Thank you Suzanne! I usually write in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep and obviously can’t proof read either LOL! Thanks for the heads up and reading. Have to remember to correct that.
LikeLike
Oh I loved this. I freeze like an opossum though, I probably would not have bolted. 🙂 Excellent use of the prompt!
LikeLike
Thank you! Since this is based on a real story, I know I bolted. I also never looked in that mirror again which was quite a feat since I had to pass that mirror many times before I moved out of that house. It is a wonder I never fell down those stairs in my haste to avoid that mirror. 🙂
LikeLike
Oh! It’s a true story? How terrifying. We live in an old house, and I am now so pleased we don’t have a mirror on the staircase.
LikeLike
Yes it is a true story and I have many more of them. Perhaps more of these prompts will allow me to write up others. Thank you for reading!
LikeLike
How creepy scary! I love your description of that moment. I’d love to see what you could do with this as the start to a longer fiction piece.
LikeLike
Thank you! It was very creepy and scary. As the beginning? Have to think about how that would work. Thank you for reading!
LikeLike
Pingback: Writing Prompt – WOE – June 22, 2012 – “passive vs active voice” | Tessa Can Do IT!
Reblogged this on and commented:
This is non-fiction and belongs over here.
LikeLike
Love it! I reblogged and wrote one myself.
LikeLiked by 1 person