Susie’s 2023 Workshop – Writing the Middle

Writing a good opening can make it hard to start a story. Writing a satisfying ending can make it difficult to work out how to round things off. It can sometimes help to borrow an opening and ending while initially telling your tale.

There is a practice called ‘literary taxidermy’ which involves taking an opening and/or closing sentence from another piece of writing (sometimes two) and writing the middle (i.e. the bulk of the plot) as you see it coming together. Then, when you get rid of the opening and closing prompts, you should hopefully have a story that is different and distinctly your own.

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The Workshop

Write a piece of Flash Fiction (500 words). No particular theme but the piece should begin with the sentence –

The waves crashed against the shore, angry and relentless. I pulled my coat tightly around my frozen body.  I turned and began to walk away, and that’s when I saw…

The final sentence should read as follows –

It’s too late now. There’s no turning back.

I’m hoping each piece will be entirely different, which is the main reason for not having a theme. 

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Susie Field – November 2023