Choose two:Most people think of adventurers as being larger-than-life heroes, but all heroes come from somewhere. In this exercise, you’re going to explore objects associated with a life you walked away from. Choose details that will help inspire your creativity and answer the prompts to discover the building blocks of your past.
This object is related to a former passion. There was once something that moved you the way wealth, glory, or righteousness moves you now.
Choose two:
I could not take this with me on the road.
My interest slowly waned over time until my heart had fully stolen away.
I could hold it in my hand and feel pride.
There were many in my life who smiled when they saw this.
Even now, I sometimes think of it during wistful nights.
This was crafted specifically for me with love.
I made this with my own hands.
Once you understand what this object is, write a scene explaining where it is now. Is it collecting dust? Has it worn out from use? Has it crumbled to discarded ashes?
Before your life on the road, you suffered a persistent dread that you would end up condemned to a life of unnoticed misery. You were reminded of this fear every time you touched this object.
1 This was part of a profession you are glad to have escaped.
2 It was a way for society to punish what it did not understand.
3 Every detail whispers the dark promise of tedium.
4 Its delicate features made your strong hands feel ugly and unworthy.
5 It looked old and broken before you ever touched it and looks much the same now.
6 This was given to you by someone with love in her eyes and pride in her heart.
Write about the last moment you touched this object.
Even if you despised your former life, there was at least one bright spot. What purpose did this serve?
Choose one:
It helped me sleep.
It reminded me of those I have lost.
It was a glimmer of beauty lost in ugliness.
It eased my pain.
In the years since, you have tried unsuccessfully to recreate what you derived from this object. Write about the moment when you decided to discard your most recent attempt.
