THE SMALL MOMENT BEFORE EVERYTHING CHANGED
Big events rarely arrive out of nowhere.
They are usually preceded by ordinary, forgettable moments, moments that only gain weight later.
The exercise
Start with a big or important event in your life.
It could be:
- a move
- a breakup
- a decision
- a loss
- a beginning
- a moment you still think about and is something you want to write about.
Now do not write about that event.
Instead:
- Make a short list of small moments that led up to it.
Ordinary things. Background details. Things that seemed insignificant at the time. Maybe moments that you only realised the meaning of after the ‘big event’. - Choose one of those moments.
- Write only about that moment.
What to write
Describe what happened, as it happened then.
You might include:
- what was said or not said
- what you noticed at the time
- what was happening around you
- what felt normal, routine, or unremarkable, and then maybe a little thing out of the ordinary.
Do not explain the larger event.
Do not tell the reader where this moment leads.
Let it quietly exist.
Rules
- Set a timer for 10 minutes
- Write without stopping. If you want to keep going after the timer goes that is totally fine.
Tip: if you enjoyed writing this moment, why not do the same for the other moments from your list. Together they might form a whole chapter building up towards the ‘big event’.
If you write all these moments without revealing what they lead up to, they might create a suspense that will give your ‘big moment’ more bang!
