Yesterday, I spent a few minutes at the beach in San Francisco with my husband. But the wind was blowing so violently we had to jump right back into the car to avoid the sharp bite of sand stinging our faces and flying into our mouths.
So we sat and watched the waves for a while. The sand on the deserted beach had blown into uncharacteristic patterns, making the familiar landscape seem alien.
Today, I’m thinking about how our landscape can change in an instant. When you fall asleep with bare winter ground outside and wake to a snow-covered fantasyland. Or start the day employed and find yourself jobless by lunchtime. Or meet someone new who suddenly becomes an important part of your life.
Here’s my challenge for you: Use the environment to reflect a significant change in a character’s life (or your life, if you prefer memoir to fiction). Can you do this in one sentence? One paragraph? Or make it a poem. Whatever inspires you.
Post your creations in the Go Wild! section of the Readers’ Sandbox.
Here’s mine, using the beach scene I observed yesterday:
As she watched the ocean waves, Monica remembered the feeling of her secret lover’s warm skin next to hers an hour ago. She touched the cold metal of her wedding ring. Soon, the wind kicked up, blowing sand over the driftwood resting at her feet, covering it completely.
I could feel the gritty sand on my face and the cold wind blowing my hair everywhere.
Nice! Thanks for stopping by and contributing.
~Sandy
From inside the sunshine burned through the sweeping panes of glass, flooding the room with a lie of summers warm breezes and lazy breath like air. She opened the door and a gush of icy wind bit through the heat cooling her flesh to goose bumps and stinging her mind back to the present.
Lovely, Rebecca! Thanks for sharing what you’ve written here.
~Sandy