| Put a metaphorical movie camera on a character’s shoulder and use that as the lens to tell the story of your first kiss. Inhabit a distinct point of view—either your own experience or another perspective, like the person you are kissing, or someone bearing witness (across the room or the parking lot or behind a tree). You already know the events of the story. Use the close third-person point of view to step outside of its familiarity and explore. I see her pull her hair out of the ponytail and this seems wrong, but am I dreaming? My twin doesn’t wear her hair down. In fact, it’s a family joke at this point—why have long hair if you’ll just pull it back or up right out of the shower soaking wet? A body hovers over hers, but it can’t be, is it his? He’s pulling off his glasses, then his own, with one hand, so deftly that ten seconds later they’re on a side table, the one Mom bought a garage sale a few years ago that doesn’t match any of the furniture, and in the next moment he’s running his fingertips through her hair. She looks old, or is it that he looks old and she has to look older in his arms? I think I fall back asleep then, her blue shirt falling off her shoulder and exposing a violet bra strap. Mom just gave her that bra but she hadn’t worn it yet, or had she? What else have I been missing, but I must still be dreaming. When I open my eyes again, their legs are wrapped around each others like a pretzel you’d get at the mall, and their breathing is audible, and I just want to know if I’m awake. |
