Today I’m trying to capture dauntlessness in timidity and timidity in dauntlessness. How can an image lack courage and confidence while being fearless and bold? Or how can I show fearless lack of confidence?
I think I’ll continue with abstract shape combinations. I’ll create one that I think of as being bold and another as being timid.
2023 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 12
Today’s prompt is a title prompt: (Blank) for (Blank). The blanks can be replaced by a word or phrase.
The Dauntlessness of Timidity
Who knows where it came from—
can pinpoint its exact arrival
a subconscious lingering memory
children can be so cruel
or a fear reaction from a parent
interpreted as blame
either way it came
And it is dauntless—
taking over when most unwanted
controlling a body like its puppet
changing pallor, making limbs shake
swirling emotions like a watery soup
so bold it presents itself as you
throwing calm, friendly you
to the wolves
Yesterday’s outline work went well. I got through T. L. Bodine’s Horror Beat Sheet to the end and now have a broad overview of where my novel is going. I’m so glad I did it. It made it feel less like the giant unknown and more like a bunch of fun scenes I’ve been thinking about, as in, “That’s doable.”
Today I’m going to take the beat sheet I created yesterday and brainstorm ten “better” scenes for each of the scenes in my outline. What will be more horrifying, more terrifying? What will make the scene worse for my character? What will make the scene more surprising for the reader? What will make the scene more fun to read? Lots of fun things to think about.
Experience Writing 