Writers’ Asylum: Challenge #3

Picture an adult. Male or female? Single or married? How does he or she spend most days: a job, a profession, a career, or something else? What is this person’s favourite hobby?

Now picture someone in this character’s life; a person who is very important to them. It might be a lover, a child, a parent, a sibling, or a best friend. This doesn’t have to be the only person that the character loves but love is involved, whether anyone has admitted it or not. It can be any kind of love: it’s a deep attachment. Who is this person? They have had trials through the years, and they are still close and connected. What makes the bond between them so strong? Is the person aware of your character’s feelings? Is the character aware?

Today, something awful happens. This person is ripped from your character’s life, with no warning and quite irrevocably. They are not simply out of sight: your character will never see or hear from this person again. It is not a happy ending to anyone’s story. It happens right in front of your character and he or she is unable to stop it. What happened to take this person away? It might be an accident, a mistake, or something more sinister. Does your character try to intervene? Why isn’t he or she successful?

Where is your character when it’s over?

The title of this challenge is Loss. Start from the moment it’s all over and tell us how he or she reacts. Avoid cliché and melodrama. This is the story of what happens after your character’s heart has been ripped out.