Writing is a way of exploring our lives, whether we write nonfiction or fiction. But sometimes it’s hard to dig deep into places we’d rather forget. But to create real characters who jump off the pages we have to explore those darker sides of ourselves, so we can translate them into “real” paper people, characters with a true character arc.

Read the prompt, take a deep breath, set your timer and begin to write. Let the words just flow; no judgment, no whitewashing, no skirting the issue. Let it all hang out, so it can be easily accessed for your “real” writing.

Write about a time when you failed. Why? What happened? What did you do wrong? What could you have done differently?