DEV>The Shopkeeper's Vase

[RSS-feed]

Hello!

I've returned with a story for you all! 

To dive into writing (and posting!) again, I've created an entry for this month's Flash Fiction Prompt [ Hosted here: fav.me/dcaap51 ] It's based on the Japanese practice of repairng broken pottery with gold called Kintsugi (Kintsukuro). I've had this premise in a notepad on my phone for perhaps a year now, and finally got a chance to use it!

The Prompt Rules:


ELEMENT ONE:  Give your protagonist TWO character STRENGTHS, and showcase these strengths within the story. In other words, 2 prominent positive aspects of their personality (e.g. they are brave/kind/resilient, etc). However at no point in the story are you allowed to come out and explicitly say "John was very kind". Instead you have to show what the strengths are through the context of the story. 


    My strengths were RESSILIENT and SELF-SACRIFICING.


ELEMENT TWO: Now give your protagonist TWO character FLAWS, and demonstrate these flaws within the course of the story. In other words, two negative personality traits that your character possesses (e.g. they are arrogant/impatient/lazy, etc). As above, at no point are you allowed to come out and say "Daisy was impulsive". The flaws should be made apparent through the actions (or dialogue) of the character, and should be shown to the reader rather than told.

     My flaws were STUBBORN and NAIVE.


ELEMENT THREE:  Include a second character to act as a FOIL to your protagonist. For those of you not in the know, a "foil" is a character who contrasts with another character —usually the protagonist— exhibiting opposite or conflicting traits to highlight the particular qualities of the other character. Which should make Elements 1 & 2, a little easier. Don't say I never give you anything. 

     Technically, I have two foils e.g. the shopkeeper's significant others. I wanted them to show how traits are good or bad in context, so I kept the shopkeeper the same and used his partner's reactions to his determination to rebuild the broken vases as a way to convey that. . . .or atleast I tried, lol.

Critique 
-Were the strengths conveyed well?

-Did the story flow well from begining to end?

-I felt that the partner's gender didn't matter in the story, so I refrained from he/she pronouns. Did that choice hinder how the story was read in terms of wording?

Interested in the work I produce? Want to compliment me and my work? Why not add me to your watch list?

View the full article