How To Turn Phrases Into Fiction

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

"Phrases into fiction?" You laughed.

Yes, take any group of words you can
think of, sse, and write a story
about them.

My eyes ran to the bottle of hand
sanitizer sitting next to me.

The cat tipped in, came to mind,
and roaring engines.

Decide on what your tale will say.
Thriller? Comedy? Long fiction
or short? Decide on a problem to
be solved.

I'm going to work with my first
idea.

It will grow into a mystery,
short fiction.

"Why is my bottle of hand
sanitizer always turned down
on my desk?" Mary asked
out-loud.

She locks the door to her
office, every night. She
places the key under the
mat, outside the door.

There are, only, six other
people in the house.

Later that night, Mary tossed,
turned in bed, and couldn't
get relaxed.

She took a deep breath, grabbed
her robe, and paced to her office.

She was startled by the door
being open. She slowly pulled
on the door.

Mary screamed at...

It is just an idea start.
There are many paths to
explore.

"What can you do with the
phrase about the cat?"
You asked.

Take a look.

Mary snuggled up to her
computer, excited with
tales to tell. She glanced
out the window, saw snow-
flakes dancing here, there.

The house was, unusually,
quiet. No one stirred,
not even the cat. She
turned back to the computer.

The door moaned, opened.
Mary jumped, knew no one
else was in the house.

The cat ran in. He curled
up on Mary's slippers.

An idea dawned on her. The
cat who appeared and disappeared
at will.

"I looked for you all mornin',
Tom." She rubbed his head.
"I sat out food and water too."

Which direction would you continue
down with the above idea?

Now, my last idea.

"I'm glad you encouraged me to
take a drive." I said. "What
a stress reducer."

"Don't know where we are, just
drove." Brad continued to
drive.

A feeling of fear came over me.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"The sign we passed said Deadwood,
but I've never heard of it." He
pulled to the side.

I snatched the map from the
floor.

"It's not on here."

A glow surrounded us...

Pick any phrase to work with.
The technique works for poetry,
essays, and some non-fiction.