Josh Jackson Author

In writing, sometimes it’s helpful to try something different. Or revisit something old.

Back when we were in school, we did a lot of different writing exercises, to help us hone our skills, learn new ones, and keep our minds active and open.

Like many of you, I’ve done a lot of those exercises and they’re fun. I also have some acting experience, and in that realm, we also did exercises for the same purpose. I loved the improv games, and so of course I adore Whose Line is it Anyway?

Since I’m definitely not going into acting, but definitely am doing this writing thing, I think it’s important to have some fun once in a while. Laboring over a novel can feel like work and I find taking on small projects, like short stories, is a great way to relieve the tension, break up the monotony, and have some fun.

I do like the 1,3,5-minute story genre, it’s enjoyable and can be quite a challenge. But what’s been tickling me lately is trash stories.

No, we’re not talking bad writing. Rather, creating a narrative surrounding a found object: a piece of trash.

As you walk around in life, no matter where you go, there’s trash. From a little cigarette butt to entire appliances dumped, our world is pretty trashy.

There’s no shortage of such “found items.” And that’s where the trash stories come in.

When you spot a random bit of garbage, stop and examine it. Take a photo. Memorize its details. Where it is, what condition it’s in. What day it was, the weather conditions. The season.

Now, come up with a story about that piece of trash. How did it get there? Who last touched it? Why did they throw it away? As we all know, you can write a whole novel about a simple garment, so it really shouldn’t be that hard to come up with a short story about that random bit of garbage.

I think it’s a fun exercise, and I’d like to do it. And I challenge you to do it as well!

So I’ll be keeping watch for trash that catches my eye and tells me a story. I place no limits or rules on content, length, genre, etc. and neither should you.

And when I’ve got the story finished I’ll post it here, with a photo of the garbage. I’d love to read yours as well.

Let’s get trashy!