Do you keep a liest? A grocery list? A "to do" ist? a list of errands to run, people to call, letters to write, items to pack, books you've read, places you've lived? Almost everyone at some time or other resorts to a list. It might be a list to organize one's day or chores, or a list that is meant to provide you with information about yourself: women you have loved; men you have left; friends who are no longer friends; or excuses you have used, as in Antoia Clark's short story, "Excuse I Have Already Used." ...
The Exercise: Write a story about a list or write a story that is a list. The list must tell us something about the person making the list, and have an organic structure of its own.
The Objective: To be able to use an ordinary list as a microcosm of your character's life.
(Attribution: What If? Second Edition: Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers - Anne Bernays & Pamela Painter - copyright 2004 - page278 - ISBN 0-321-10717-9 - all typos introduced, if any, are mine - used w/o permission)
'Excuses I Have Already Used' by Antonia Clark wrote:He hit me first. She called me four eyes. The dog ate it. it's not my turn. Everybody else is doing it. My alarm didn't go off. I didn't know it was due. My grandmother died. It went through the wash. My roomate threw it in the trash. He got me drunk. He said he loved me. He said he'd pull out in time. She pulled out right in front of me. I didn't know how you felt. I was only trying to help. He backed me into a corner. It just slipped ouf of my hand. I was in a hurry. It was on sale. I needed a little pick-me-up. It calms my nerves. They looked too good to resist. It sounded like such a good deal. Hospitals give me the creeps. He's probably tired of visitors. He didn't even recognize me last time. There were extra expenses this month. My vote wouldn't have counted anyway. The kids were driving me nuts. I didn't have time. My watch must have stopped. I couldn't find the instructions. The dishwasher's broken. Somebody else used it last. I forgot my checkbook. I gave at the office. I've got a headache. I've got my period. It's too hot. I'm too tired. I had to work late. I got stuck in traffic. I couldn't get away. I couln't let them down. i didn't know how to say no. We were thrown together by circumstance. He made me feel like a woman again. I didn't know what i was doing. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I've been up to my eyeballs. The flight was delayed. The car broke down. My hard drive crashed. Ive got a call waiting. I'm flat out. Life is too short. It's too late to go back.
(Appearing in source listed above on page 286)
