DIY MFA Book Prompt


Use Description to Reflect Emotion

*Describe the way a character sees a room. Three separate occasions with the character in different states of mind. The mood influences how they see the room*

-The room: The Kitchen-

Mood 1: Being chased by someone and is terrified

                Shana dashed into the kitchen. Looking over her shoulder, she didn’t notice the barstools pulled away from the counter and ran into them. They crashed to the floor, but she paid them no mind as she began to search for something to defend herself. Pots and pans from the night before were in the dish drainer; she picked the largest one up and tested its weight. Maybe.

                Something thudded above her head, but she only glanced up for a second. Pulling open drawers, she searched for the kitchen knives. There were footsteps on the stairs as she grabbed the butcher knife and went for the sliding glass door. The backyard was filled with ominous shadows from the trees lining the fence. Shana hesitated. What if there were more of them waiting outside?

                The loose floorboard in the hall creaked and she decided she would take her chances. She flung the door open and took off across the yard.

Mood 2: Just met the love of her life

                Shana spun in a circle, cradling the vase of flowers she’d found on the doorstep. The sun’s brilliant rays lit up the room. The bright colors of the appliances on the counters reflected the light. She passed over these gleaming surfaces to place the flowers on the kitchen table. A light breeze passed through the open sliding glass door and Shana smiled at the way it made the flowers dance in the vase.

                Birds out in the yard sang and Shana hummed along with them as she returned to her baking. The aromas of vanilla and cinnamon filled the room as she prepared cookies.

Mood 3: Suffered a significant loss

                The kitchen curtains were drawn, blocking out any sight of the sky. Shana wasn’t even sure of the time of day. She’d been sitting at the table for hours. All night possibly. She tilted the cup in her hand to examine the last bit of whiskey. The empty bottle on the table was taunting her.

                She stood and went for the liquor cabinet, hoping against hope there was another bottle there waiting for her. Her eyes passed over the pile of dirty dishes in the sink, ignoring them as she had done all week long. As she pulled on the door to the cabinet, her free hand knocked over the mountain of unopened mail next to her. The bills and letters of condolences fell to the floor. Shana only managed a glance down at them before grabbing the bottle of vodka from the top shelf.

This was the last of it… She’d have to venture out in public after this one.