I have to write a short story that is about 1200 words. It is set in 1960, about a man who is about 40 years old. He fought in world war II and was about 20 during the war. He has been permanently injured, he is quite crippled and finds joy out of the simplest things like enjoying the sun rise. He lives in a old, crappy shack. Yet, its home to him. My problem: I've written the introduction, which I'm happy with. Though it is 250 words and it introduces my character, his issues, and sets the scene on his porch as he watch the morning view. He is a lonely man. How on earth do i make this a story, what complication could i do? I could refer back to the war? Yet this will take up a lot of writing and might not allow a complication to happen. I need urgent help. TIA
1/ Put some meat on those bones! Where did he see action? Army, Navy, Air force? Which theatre? Did he volunteer, or was he conscripted? i.e. was he a career soldier, or just for hostilities. Have it that he was a conscripted foot soldier in Burma - some of the fiercest fighting against the Japanese took place there. The conflict is that his carer - now that he's crippled - is a Japanese immigrant (or at least is S-E Asian, and they all look alike to him). How does he get past hating the Japs, to see that his carer (make him male, similar age to the protagonist, so he could have fought against him) is actually a good guy - who'd also been fooled by the jingoism of his government. Try listening to Ruby, don't take your love to town to get some of that veteran's bitterness.
If you don't want it to be something about in his past then maybe you need to introduce something that upsets his simple little life (which get resolved or results in change of the status quo by the end). Maybe he gets a surprise visitor of some sort.
This is great! Don't know how you came up with this, simple but effective. Im just trying to decide how he could overcome his hate with the carer.. I really appreciate your help, you may have saved my marks haha.
You could have the carer attacked or verbally abused by someone like him but who hadn't fought in the war. He then has to decide between helping the carer or supporting the racist.
Maybe he could help out another veteran who is in a similar position/situation. Maybe an old girlfriend reconnects with him, but abandons him when she realizes he isn't going to get better.
Have you tried writing a story idea draft? I've started writing short stories and follow these steps: http://thewritepractice.com/how-to-write-a-short-story/ Now, these steps mirror the way I put together my novels and they work very well to me. Godspeed!
You probably want interaction with another character, yes? Otherwise it's just him sitting around the house brooding. Maybe that's how it goes at first and he's watching some kid outside. He talks with him at the end for whatever reason, and you can decide what the result is. Maybe he helps him and it gets something off his chest. Maybe he's ignored and retreats, sullen again. It can go many directions. You have little more than a scene to do it in, so it has to be quick.
You could always include flashbacks to the war, and have all of the conflict take place there. The first thing I thought of was this man going through his morning routine, taking meds, dealing with whatever injury he has if it affects his everyday life... but the flashbacks start out with training, and then it all builds up to that final injury over time, or something. I may expand on this later, if I have the time.
Barn swallows dive-bombing the cat: if your going for a flashback to the war, this could trigger memories of the particular event that caused him to be crippled.
What does he live from? Is he forced to take up a job? Is he forced to interact with other people? Was he a Nazi that is now targeted by the Mossad? I'm thinking of: "In 1960, Eichmann was captured in Argentina by Mossad, Israel's intelligence service. Following a widely publicised trial in Israel, he was found guilty of war crimes and hanged in 1962." - Wikpedia article about Eichmann
