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IWW
Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: Old Friends
These exercises were written
by IWW members and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its members. You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that you found them at the Internet Writers Workshop(http://www.internetwritingworkshop.org/).
Prepared by: Alice Folkart
Posted on: Sun, December 16, 2012
Reposted on: Sun, July 19, 2015
Reposted on: Sun, July 16, 2017
Reposted on: Sun, August 25, 2019
Reposted on: Sun, November 29, 2020
Reposted on: Sun, August 28, 2022
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In 400 words or less describe a meeting between two people who used to be
friends as children, in college, in the military, at work, or wherever
they might have known each other. They haven't seen each other for 20 years.
____________
Were they really friends? Why are they meeting now? How did they lose
and/or find each other? Instead of giving us a physical description of
these two, let their thoughts, conversation, and actions give us a sense
of who they are. Do they meet in a public place or on the territory of one
or the other? Why? Who dominates? Have these two ever been in love? In
competition? Who won?
Are they secretly critical of each other or are they delighted to find each
other again? Has either of them turned out very differently from what the
other expected? Has the jock become a professor of ancient languages or the
campus beauty queen turned into a frumpy grandmother? Has either of them
become wealthy or impoverished? Does either of them have health problems?
How many times has each been married?
____________
In your critique tell the author what you think of these characters. Do you
like or hate them? Why? What has the author done that makes you feel this
way? Is either one lying about something? Does the way the author presents
these people give you a clear picture of the characters? Would you want to
read more about them? And finally, don't forget to point out any writing craft
issues.
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Gayle Surrette.
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