Story Ideas for Writers

Almost everyone has experienced this at some point in their lives. Maybe it was serious such as choking on food that plugged up your airway or having the “wind knocked out of you” after a fall. Or maybe there was a moment when you were really sick, and every breath felt inadequate and painful, and you wondered if you would ever get better. It was uncomfortable, and at some times VERY uncomfortable, but you eventually caught your breath and breathed normally again. For 8 minutes and 46 seconds, George Floyd was pinned under a knee of Derek Chauvin, an officer serving in the Minneapolis Police Department. George Floyd never had the chance to breathe normally again.

8 minutes and 46 seconds is a long time. Set a timer for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Start out by holding your breath for as long as you can. Eventually, you’ll break, somewhere between 1 and 2 minutes, but note how much of that time remains.

“I can’t breathe.” These three words are reportedly the last words George Floyd said before losing consciousness. These three words have sparked a revolution. If you ever had doubts about the power of words, this example should shatter it. “I can’t breathe,” is now the rallying cry against racism and injustice. It is another opportunity to do better to make sure that we lift everyone up with us as we thrive by solving the complex, difficult problems that we have ignored and kicked down the road because they are too difficult to solve right at the moment. Institutional Racism. Massive Income Inequality. Lack of Affordable Healthcare. Militarized Police Forces. These are just a few of the problems we keep trying to shove back under the rug, but that rug now is about 3 feet off the ground and sitting on top of these problems like an ill-fitting top hat. We no longer can afford to save these issues for a better day in the future, we need to start on them today.

For these reasons, these three words seemed perfect for a Provocative Phrase Friday prompt.

• Do you know what…
• You need to be honest…
• You’re right…
• I will not soon forget.
• Make a living out of lying.
• It’s even better on the way up.
• He’s recovered seven bodies…
• We’re delivering a…
• Not since the days of…
• I learned last night…
• If I don’t make it…

Take 8 minutes and 46 seconds and write. Get a sense of how long that time really is, and capture some your thoughts and feelings this week.