Clothes can define a character in your story, so that’s what we’re going to concentrate on today for our new creative writing prompt/exercise.
Imagine you have a dressing-up box to dip into. A frothy pink frock with some glitter and a tiara and there’s a classic child’s fairy tale princess. Turn it into a 21st century fairy story and the character may also have an Adam’s apple and a stubbled chin, you can choose – you’re the writer, so you are creating characters.
Grey sweatpants and a too-small t-shirt emblazoned with a lurid anti-establishment message? What about a smart fitted suit, Windsor-knotted tie and shiny Italian leather shoes? Or kitten heels, fishnet stockings, tight corset and a beehive hair-do?
A cloth cap and a hand-knitted sweater in olive green several sizes too large, plus muddy Wellington boots?
Male or female? Age? Name? You choose, but I bet you’ve already pictured characters as I’ve mentioned their attire.
Of course, it isn’t always necessary to describe what someone is wearing in order to tell their story. What they’re saying and doing may be far more relevant to set the scene. But sometimes, the gear they’re in says so much about the person.
You can turn it on its head, too. Have your city-gent as a down-and-out, or your dirty ruffian as a well-respected politician (yes, I know, but you have such power as a writer!). You could even have two characters fighting over some clothing, perhaps a family heirloom fur coat. Or there could be an alcohol-fuelled dispute about the ownership of a dinner jacket at a charity awards event.
Take some time to put together a wardrobe for your characters and then write a brief description. You should find that leads to a story or a piece of flash fiction – or you may find the exercise prompts a memory and a character from your past emerges, encouraging you to write some memoir.
Come back next week, as always Wednesday, 5pm Dublin time (because I’m in Ireland!), for another creative writing prompt/exercise. Subscribe (it is free) to get an email notification of new posts.
Louise G Cole, Writer 