One of my fellow volunteer ladies has a beautiful heart that shines the brightest during Christmastime. She prices household and miscellaneous donated items for the charity thrift store twice a week. All year, she shops for personalized gifts for each regular volunteer in the Tuesday crowd. Before Christmas, she hands out about two dozen gift bags, saying she just enjoys the giving process.
Over the past several years, I've received everything from sketch books to fluffy slipper socks from her. She listens and learns about each of our interests during lunch breaks, then she uses that knowledge to bless us with gifts. I adore her generosity, but I often don't feel a simple "thank you" is enough for the effort she puts in.
This time, I listened and learned something about her.
At a recent lunch when we were all taking a break from our respective sorting stations, she proclaimed how wrong it was for someone not to send a card after a memorial. The topic was about grief and how people handle it differently, but I learned something about her. Cards don't mean much to me (and in fact, I don't like the environmental impact), but to her, they are important. So I made her a personalized card using my own skills. I also gave her a jar of my own homemade cinnamon almond butter.
Knowing how to respond to special treatment is difficult for me sometimes. Growing up, I was often the "background character" few people noticed. I didn't cause trouble, and I did my own thing. Because of that, I expected little to nothing of the people around me. When they did something nice for me, I questioned it or incoherently blubbered my gratitude (depending on the person).
But this got me thinking...
Pondering how a character handles gratitude gives people a peek inside them. Imagine the first chapter of a book: the main character finds a friend or family member standing on their doorstep, holding a wrapped package. Does the MC show gratitude or scorn the gift-giver?
They frown and stare, waiting for the gift-giver to explain themselves.
Their mouth drops open, and they are frozen in place.
As soon as they look through the peephole, they gasp, refusing to open then door.
They take the package, asking, "What's in it?" (Tone could play a huge part here)
They yell at the person, saying, "I'm not falling for that." Then slam the door.
They are already crying when they open the door, and hug the person so hard, they don't even notice the package.
They cross their arms and say, "So you finally realized you were a jerk?"
They stammer, "B-but, I didn't get you anything."
The character opens the package, already worrying about how to respond if they don't like what's inside. (I'm guilty of this!)
The list could continue forever, but I've already got several ideas brewing for short stories. A brainstorming session can be that simple. I don't need to know the gender, age, or nationality of either character. A strong emotion or tense situation can trigger a string of ideas and build enough intrigue to keep readers interested.
Just digging into one of these scenarios creates opportunities. For example, let's brainstorm "As soon as they look through the peephole, they gasp, refusing to open then door."
The woman who thought she escaped her deranged ex-boyfriend learns she was wrong.
A person dressed in a goofy cartoon character outfit is holding the package and singing Happy Birthday in another language.
The person sees their relative who had gone missing eight years ago, but family rumors painted this person as everything from a saint to a secret drug smuggler.
The main character's imaginary friend from childhood stands there, holding an exact replica of a gift the MC remembers getting when they were five.
The general of the Intergalactic Protection Division has come in person to recruit the main character and holds a "present" containing a uniform.
With these bits of information, even the story's genre takes shape. Themes and character development can come later, working hand in hand with the plot. Keep asking "And then what?", and the story takes on a life of its own.
This is one of the many reasons I love writing. When I began this blog post, I didn't expect my creativity to trigger this much. Here I am, getting excited about concepts that may never make it into story form. Will I or won't I? Time will tell.
Keep on smilin'!
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