Warm up your writing muscles—or break through a block—with a fun exercise. Here it is for today: Write a few paragraphs about a mundane event, but make it as exciting or emotional as you can.

Example:

Driving my daughter to school and getting a coffee

It all started when they got in the car. The car started no problem. But suddenly, on the radio came the most alarming sound EVER.

It was Sweet singing “Ballroom Blitz.” Which was pretty good, actually, as Nala hadn’t heard that in a long time.

The long, tortuous drive started calmly. A turn here, a turn there. All was peaceful until the third to last turn that went around the lot that had that dead evergreen and the house that had been for sale forever, even though they had painted it twice in two unfortunate colours! THERE! Right in the middle of the road WAS A HUGE…

empty road. So they turned down the road, and turned right and turned right yet again into the school parking lot. EVERYWHERE WERE STUDENT BODIES..

walking happily into the school. It was second block and most of the kids—including Taylor—seemed resigned to another day in the trenches. Nala drove out of the parking lot and then, RIGHT AFTER SHE TURNED ONTO THE ROAD…

was another empty road. Driving down the quiet, tranquil road was eery and unsettling. Where were the other cars? Where were the people?

Oh, there they were, on the main road. The treacherous, main road, where many many a car before Nala’s had driven uneventfully. Would she make it home? Would her gas last for the long, endless drive home???

Seconds later she pulled into her driveway, narrowly avoiding the opening garage door and barely stopping in time before possibly—but not close to—careening through her house door and into her bedroom.

As she resettled with her laptop and paperwork, the horrific realization came to her….

SHE HAD FORGOTTEN TO GET HER COFFEE!!!

NOOOOOOOOO ! ! !

The End