- Your main character, Sam or Sami, can’t make up their mind, regardless of what the options are. After graduating from space travel academy, Sam or Sami is offered a choice of destinations: a planet inhabited by dragons that may or may not be friendly; a planet where the air is only sulfur, but the creatures are friendly; or a planet a lot like earth except that the only food that isn’t poisonous is bitter, gluey jellyfish stew. Sam or Sami has an hour to choose and pack and be ready to leave. Anyone who isn’t ready is sent to the booby-trap planet, where few survive. Write what happens.
- Two friends find a wallet, you decide where and how much money is inside. They each have different ideas about what they should do with it and the money. They also disagree over whether to read what’s written on the folded-up piece of paper inside. Write what happens and reveal the character of each friend.
- Two friends are guarding the home of the beloved grandmother of one of them, because they have reason to believe she’s the next target of the Old Lady’s House Burglar. Grandma, who doesn’t think she’s in danger, is asleep inside. Write the story and reveal the characters of as many as you can: the two friends, the grandmother, and the burglar.
- It’s Wish Week at Pimson Middle School, when every eighth grader gets to make a wish and have it come true—for a week. Students are not allowed to reveal their wishes to anyone ahead of time. Two friends make their wishes—and discover that one conflicts with the other. Write the story, revealing the character of each friend.