What Comes Next?

There is a game I like to play (no, nothing dirty—usually), and I call it What Comes Next. I'll read something, say a headline, or I'll observe something, say an interaction, and I'll spin it out for myself. My mind will create a mini-story or sometimes a full-blown one, based on what I "know" so far.

Here's an example:

I saw this headline, "Search for boy, missing for 38 years, resumes in Lawrence." This is where my mind went—Where has he been? Did he go willingly? Did he go alone? What brought the search back to public attention? Is he healthy? Is he sane?

Another example:

I heard this comment, "I have never been a porn guy, so for me this is a little weird." And my mind said this—What is a porn guy? Is there a good way to be one? Is "porn guy" and "a little weird" an oxymoron? What's "weird," having an in-person interaction? Did he sound embarrassed because he was "a porn guy" or because of whatever was "a little weird" or because of the look on the other person's face (which I couldn't see)?

And then I say to myself, is there more to this story? How much do I want to know? How much might readers want to know? It's all fiction, of course. (wink, wink)

http://www.ellisoneducation.com/idea/6213/what-comes-next