This picture got me thinking about gleeful destruction. This destruction could be celebratory like when children break a pinata. Or the delight might come from accidental destruction, maybe a burst seam during a vigorous pillow fight.  Or the glee might follow deliberate destruction — a defeated enemy, severed chains, a poisonous relationship ended.

This week’s writing prompt: Plan or write a scene of gleeful destruction. Go ahead and focus on the joy but also consider ways such scenes can move the larger story towards the climax.

 

Some of my ideas…

• Include an onlooker. Why doesn’t he join in? Maybe he holds a grudge or is in too much pain.
• End the scene with a hint of the consequences of the destructive act.
• Play with the sense of “fun”, maybe making it forced or desperate.

 

What are your ideas for adding complexity to such a scene or connecting the scene to the bigger story?