Struggle

A man is pursued by a tiger and crawls into a tree at the edge of an abyss.  Two mice, one black and one white gnaw at the roots of the tree. At the bottom of the abyss sits a dragon with parted jaws.

The man looks above and sees honey trickling down the tree, and he begins to lick it and forget his perilous situation.  But the mice gnaw through the tree and the man falls. The tiger seizes him and hurls him over to the dragon.

Joy Williams feels writers need to capture and describe those terrifyng small mice.  She sees the mice as time, shifting, transforming time which alters everything we love.

I suggest writing about the honey.


Creative Write:  Struggle defines a story. It speaks to the human resolve to triumph despite the obstacles, whether physical or psychological. Struggle suggests an effort to endure adversity, to push one's goals forward, and ways to confront counterforces.

Struggle also implies a sustained effort to overcome opposition.  A struggle too easily resolved will disappoint readers.  To sustain a struggle, conflict must appear formidable and overwhelming at first.

The more arduous the struggle, the sweeter the reward.

Outline a story idea in terms of a struggle for a significant reward.  Use animal characters at first and then turn them into people.  Notice how the change in name affects the attributes of the characters.

Don't forget to include the honey!