Scene Starter #4 (Character Builder Hybrid)

This strange amalgam of prompt stems from those tricky moments in which you have a lovely, well-defined character in mind, but no story for them to inhabit. Sometimes you're lucky enough to have a story and a character to start with, but no idea where to begin! That's where this double prompt comes in handy.

Your character receives the worst news imaginable to them at the moment via surprise phone call. What is it? 

Or: 

Your character receives the best possible news tucked in among the bills and junk mail. What is it? 

Or you could expand: 

Your character receives what they thought was the worst possible news, but then it gets worse. How?

Or: 

Your character thinks that he or she has gotten the worst news of his or her life, but somehow it turns out to be the best thing that could have happened to them at the moment. How is this possible?

Or even further: 

Your character gets the best possible news at the worst possible time.

I like to plot out all the ways these sorts of conundrums could unfold, then choose which gets the strongest reaction from me. For example, your character is a teenager waiting for her college acceptances. In the first scenario, she gets a phone call letting her know she didn't get into her dream school. In the second, she gets a full ride scholarship. In the third, she not only gets the call, but also finds out that her dad forgot to mail the rest of her applications. In the fourth, she finds out she didn't get into her school, but then finds out that the program that she applied to is racked with scandal. In the fifth, she is in the midst of consoling her best friend over her rejections when her dad bursts in crowing that your main character made it into her first choice.

To me, the last scenario produces the most possibilities, and creates a conflict from the start. It also showcases your main character's priorities- does she try to quiet her dad and focus on cheering up her friend (and probably doing some damage control), or is she too busy celebrating the fact that her dream has come true? Let your character start you off, and you're on your way to a great beginning.

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author.