People and problems

 I came across these wonderful photographs on Facebook. I'd like you to choose one of the people from them, give them a name, think about who they were, what they cared about, what their lives were like.

Then I want you to write a story about them - the length is up to you. But remember - this is very important: the basic thing about any story is that you have a character, and that character has a problem. The story is about how the character overcomes the problem, or obstacle. So think about what the problem might be for your particular character.

Here's some information about the photographer.

John Gay (born Hans Göhler: 1909 in Karlsruhe, Germany – 1999 in Highgate, London) Gay attended art college in his home town. In 1933 he left Germany, following Hitler's appointment as Chancellor, moving to England with his friend Walter Stern and Stern's family, including his mother, the photographer Martha Stern.

He settled in London, where he changed his name, and launched a photographic career, finding work as a self-employed commercial photographer, before serving with the Pioneer Corps from 1939 until the end of the Second World War. 

Didn't we have a lovely time?

 We may not be able to have days out at the moment, but there's nothing to stop us revisiting days out we've had in the past!

Picture from the Evening Standard

This is another exercise from Jenny Alexander's highly recommended book, Free-Range Writing.

Memoir: Didn't we have a lovely time?

Didn't we have a lovely time, the day we went to... Where? And who went? Think of a few great days out you've had, any time in the past.

Then consider the sentence substituting 'lovely' with horrible/boring/exciting, and think of some examples for each of those.

Choose one and tell the story. Exaggerate the mood of the day; if it was boring, make it sound like the most boring day ever, if exciting, the most exciting, and so on.