It’s in the Bag!
Story-Bagging is great fun. Imagine you’ve prepared four paper bags – one each for characters, setting, emotions, and objects. Now picture yourself drawing out 2 – 3 characters, one setting, two emotions and two objects. Do your best to combine these in a story or poem, incorporating a believable plot-line. You might just be surprised at what you come up with!
Characters
single mother, a pastor, a school teacher, the President of the United States, a Christian rock star, a famous writer, a housewife, a police officer, a doctor, a frog on a lily pad, a mailman, a student, a janitor, a tightrope walker, a spy, a ballerina, a circus clown, Mary Poppins, Snow White, Cinderella, Fred Flintstone, Lucille Ball, a great-grandfather, a dogcatcher…
Setting
on a bridge, in Paris, on a farm, a ghost town, in the big city, in an office, at the river’s edge, on a freeway, in a hot air balloon, in a sailboat, at the circus, on a city bus, on an airplane, sitting on a cloud, in a classroom, in a florist’s shop, on a train, at the beach, on a bridge, in the jungle, on the Titanic, at the mall, at a taco stand, behind a bank, outside a window looking in, in the bathroom, in a factory, at the drive-in, inside the human body…
Emotions
pain, joy, frustration, happiness, love, jealousy, hate, fear, excitement, apathy (“I don’t care…” attitude), abiding love (can you pretend to be in love?), sadness, worried, confused, irritated, anxious, tender…
Objects
a rose, a candy heart, a roll of film, a crumpled piece of paper, half of a torn love letter, a roller skate, a pink hair ribbon, a toy army man, a book of love poems, a sports car, an ice cream cone, a pencil, a trapeze, a diamond ring, an old record, a greeting card, a table, a computer, a textbook, a missing piece of music, a telephone, a hole in the wall, a diamond broach, a worn Bible, a black and white photo, an empty plate, a famous portrait, a box of crackers, a wedding ring, a pair of sunglasses, a light bulb
