Writing Exercise: Prompting the Worst

Writing Exercise: Prompting the Worst

Quotation: “The worst thing. Once you have your character, ask this question: What is the worst thing that could happen to this person? Your answer may very well be the start of a novel of suspense, a novel the reader just can’t put down.” —James Scott Bell

Key Writing Techniques to Practice

Pressure-testing a character: Build narrative momentum by placing characters under emotional or existential duress specific to their core fears, flaws, or stakes. Personalizing stakes: Avoid generic peril; tailor “the worst thing” to each character’s psychology, background, and goals. Scene-driven escalation: Use a single pivotal scene to initiate irreversible change and create narrative propulsion.

500-Word Writing Prompt

Create a single scene where your protagonist encounters the worst possible moment specific to who they are. Begin with a sentence that establishes their stability—however fragile—then dismantle it in a way that forces them to face a fear, truth, or consequence they’ve tried to avoid. The event must not be random; it must be earned by their choices, relationships, or unresolved past. Anchor the scene in one location. Use present sensory detail to heighten emotional stakes.

You may write in any POV and tense. Avoid exposition dumps. Let the emotional and thematic weight unfold through action, dialogue, and implication.

Evaluation Criteria for a Strong Response

– The “worst thing” must be character-specific, not universally tragic

– The scene must escalate tension in a way that feels inevitable and irreversible

– Emotional stakes must be embedded in the subtext, not declared through explanation

– The writing should stay grounded in the present moment, using concrete, sensory language

– The event must change what the character can want, do, or believe moving forward

Strong vs. Weak Example

Strong: A childless woman obsessed with control is giving a eulogy for her estranged sister when her niece—whom she’s secretly been trying to adopt—announces she wants to live with someone else. The scene occurs mid-eulogy. The woman cannot respond without publicly unraveling. The reader sees the impact through her inability to finish her prepared remarks, her body’s involuntary reactions, and her final, unrehearsed sentence.

Weak: A man finds out he has cancer. The scene focuses on the diagnosis, but we never learn what the stakes are for this man, how it affects his relationships, or what’s lost. The “worst” moment is generic and emotional resonance is diluted by a lack of specificity.

Workshopping & Revision Questions

– Is the worst moment uniquely tailored to this character’s emotional architecture?

– Does the scene earn its stakes through preceding tension or foreshadowing?

– Are emotional reactions shown through behavior and detail rather than explanation?

– Does the character’s reality shift after this moment in a way that would affect what follows?

– Is anything overwritten, undercutting the tension by making it melodramatic or implausible?

Recommended Published Example

“The Half-Skinned Steer” by Annie Proulx

Watch how Mero’s journey climaxes with a moment that is physically unremarkable but emotionally annihilating. The “worst thing” isn’t the threat he faces, but how his illusions collapse. The story roots devastation in the specific psychology and history of the character, not external danger.

AI Disclosure Statement:

This writing prompt was created in collaboration with ChatGPT, an AI model by OpenAI, to support creative practice. ChatGPT assisted with idea generation and drafting; the final text was edited by the author. The illustration was created using Google Gemini.