Briefly describe a story you’ve told over and over again.
Write the story. Right now.
Explain what is compelling about this story.
I came from school on a bus. We got off at the top of the mountain road and walked down the road to the house. My sister and I.
When we walked into the house, I could tell something was wrong. My Mom was waiting up the stairs in the kitchen. She’d put out snacks. She immediately told us, “A lady died.” My sister immediately started bawling. I was confused, “Where?”
“At the top of the road. She was hit by a car. Teri (our neighbor) found her when running.”
Still confused, “Did you call the police?”
Mom, “No, we moved her down to the property and buried her next to the house.”
“Wait, what?”
Mom, “Let’s go see.”
Sister, still bawling. Me, totally confused why we were burying a stranger next to the house. Mom, being calm and sad. We walked outside to a small plot of freshly turned soil. Mom, “We buried her with one of your shirts.”
Now furious, “You buried a lady next to the house with ONE OF MY SHIRTS? How did you get in that tiny hole? Did you bury her standing up?”
It clicked for my mother now, “Not a lady, Lady, your dog.”
I immediately started bawling.