Scott Pilgrim: Did you know that the original name for Pac-Man was Puck-Man? You’d think it was because he looks like a hockey puck but it actually comes from the Japanese phrase ‘Paku-Paku,’ which means to flap one’s mouth open and closed. They changed it because they thought Puck-Man would be too easy to vandalize, you know, like people could just scratch off the P and turn it into an F or whatever.

—Edgar Wright, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Let’s write a dialogue! Image a character forced to go to a party where they eventually lose sight of the friend they came with. They want someone to talk to but they’re awkward and introverted. Eventually they notice someone wearing a T-shirt of that thing they like! Start the dialogue with the awkward person psyching themselves up to go talk to the *cool person.* What do they say to themselves to prepare for *social interaction* and what’s the first thing they say? Even if it’s extra weird, keep the conversation going! Is the cool person also a little awkward? Are they monotonous or excitable? Where does the conversation take them and how does it drive the scene forward? Try writing in the style of a screenplay with just the dialogue and stage directions. Remember to ask yourself, what do we learn about the characters in this scene? How is this scene important to the overall story? If you don’t have a story in mind, you can consider this while you write or afterwards.

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Hello my little friendly geckos, thanks for the read! Just a reminder that you can see get a free copy of my poetry collection, The Moth that Haunts the Laundry Room, on Prolific Works. If you want to support my creative endeavors, you can also purchase the book on Barnes and Noble or Amazon. Don’t forget to check me out on Instagram (thegarrulousgecko) and twitter (@theheckingeck) for herpetofauna photos, poems, and more! If you write something based on one of my prompts and want to share it with me, you can use the Share and Recommend tab at the top of the page, I’ll even post it on the website! Happy writing.