I am taking a creative writing course on Udemy. It covers the basics of creative writing. For each lesson, there are writing exercises to complete. I found the last writing exercise so fun, I wanted to share what I wrote.
The exercise starts with selecting a fear or phobia from this site. Once you get to the site, you are to close your eyes, scroll a bit, open your eyes, and make a note of the first fear you see.
In my case, I picked Cibophobia, which is the fear of food. Then the fun begins. You have to write a story centered on that fear. Oh yeah, you only have 10 minutes.
Below is what I came up with. I have corrected spelling and grammar, but I have not changed the wording. This gives you the full effect of the piece, raw and unpolished. I hope you enjoy it.
"No! Get it away from me!"
The small piece of Red Velvet made me break out in cold sweats.
"Just a couple more seconds, Greg," said Dr. Sanders.
The urge to vomit was getting worse. I could feel the lump in the back of my throat. My gag reflex started to react.
"I'm gonna puke, Doc. How is this supposed to help?"
Dr. Stevens took a small, plastic food cover and placed it over the cake. My gag reflex started to subside, and I stopped sweating. I tried to gather my composure as best I could.
The whole ordeal was ridiculous. I love Red Velvet cake.
"What is going on with me?" I thought.
The doctor handed me a soft, linen cloth.
"OK, Greg, very good, very good." He muttered. Old Dr. Stevens sounded like a professional who is completely confused but trying not to show it.
I wiped the sweat off my forehead and face.
"How in the hell is this good?" I barked.
"I can't even look at it. How am I supposed to live?"
Sitting in this hospital bed, my mind was buzzing with fear, anxiety, and frustration. Ever since the accident, I had not been able to look at food without gagging. I haven't eaten a real meal in a week. Stuck in this hospital room, being fed through a tube, because now food makes me sick. What is happening? My anxiety slowly fades into depression. I lower my head.
It's raw, for sure. But the exercise was fun and is great for sparking story ideas. I am really enjoying this course and look forward to learning a lot more. One step closer to writing that book!
Do you do any creative work? If so, what do you create? I'd love to hear your story.
—Daniel