“But I think some people wait forever, and only at the end of their lives do they realize that their life has happened while they were waiting for it to start.” (Jess Walter, Beautiful Ruins)
Writing Exercise: “A Life Spent Waiting”
Techniques Illustrated by the Quotation
1. Implied Motivation and Emotional Depth: Jess Walter’s quote captures the quiet tragedy of unspoken desires and delayed action. Writers will practice revealing a character’s inner conflict through subtext rather than explicit narration.
2. Mastery of Time and Reflection: The quotation juxtaposes the sweep of a lifetime with a single moment of realization. Writers will explore nonlinear storytelling to mirror a character’s evolving awareness.
3. Resonant Imagery and Symbolism: Walter’s idea of a life unfolding unnoticed invites writers to use concrete, symbolic imagery to convey abstract emotions like regret or longing.
Writing Prompt
Write a 500-word scene in which a character confronts, either consciously or unconsciously, how waiting or indecision has shaped their life. Begin with a present action that grounds the character in an ordinary moment (e.g., waiting in line, folding laundry, walking a familiar route). From there, interweave flashbacks, reflections, or subtext that reveal the weight of something they’ve been waiting for—perhaps a relationship, ambition, or dream deferred.
Constraints:
• The realization must remain unspoken. Let action, setting, and sensory details do the heavy lifting.
• The scene must stay in the present moment and take place within a two-hour timeframe, but it should feel expansive through the character’s internal reflections.
• Use at least one recurring image or detail as a symbol for their unfulfilled desire or regret.
Evaluation Criteria
1. Character Complexity:
• Strong: The character’s internal struggle is palpable and nuanced, conveyed through layered details and emotional subtext. Their regret or realization feels authentic and earned.
• Weak: The character is one-dimensional, with their feelings overly explained or disconnected from the story’s action and imagery.
2. Time and Reflection:
• Strong: The story’s interplay between present action and reflection creates a sense of depth and progression, enriching the character’s emotional arc.
• Weak: The shifts between past and present are jarring, lack purpose, or fail to build a cohesive narrative.
3. Imagery and Subtext:
• Strong: The use of recurring imagery or symbolic details effectively conveys the character’s emotional truth without relying on direct exposition.
• Weak: The imagery feels disconnected, heavy-handed, or fails to enhance the story’s emotional resonance.
Follow-Up Questions for Workshopping/Revising
1. Does the character’s regret or realization feel authentic and specific?
2. How effectively does the story integrate past and present to reveal the emotional stakes?
3. What images or sensory details stand out, and how do they contribute to the character’s emotional journey?
4. Are there moments of over-explaining or insufficient clarity that could be refined?
5. Does the story’s resolution—whether quiet or ambiguous—feel satisfying?
Recommended Reading
• “The Swimmer” by John Cheever: A brilliant exploration of regret and denial, using nonlinear storytelling and symbolic imagery to mirror a man’s unraveling.
• “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald: A poignant story of unfulfilled ambition and emotional reflection, with a protagonist whose life feels shaped by what he waited for but never attained.
Example Outputs
Strong Response: A man sits alone in a crowded airport, watching planes take off as he picks at a stale muffin. As he waits for his delayed flight, his mind drifts to a summer decades ago when he and a lover planned to travel the world but never did. The planes’ deafening roars and the intercom announcements are juxtaposed with the silence of his present, the realization that he always waited for the “right time” settling as he leaves the uneaten muffin behind.
Weak Response: A woman tells the reader outright that she regrets never pursuing her art career while cleaning her attic. She finds old sketchbooks and sighs about “what might have been” in flat, declarative prose, failing to connect her regret to the present moment or explore it through sensory detail or action.
This exercise challenges writers to explore the intersection of action, reflection, and subtext, creating a layered and resonant narrative that lingers with the reader.
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