Is there a more stereotypical American summertime scene than a child in a park enjoying a hot dog on Independence Day? Bonus points if the child is barefoot during a neighborhood barbecue.
Writers are often warned against using cliché scenes such as this in their stories, but there can be value in presenting a well-known setting / situation to evoke a traditional reaction...Or to subvert expectations. The danger is when you rely on the ubiquitous to interest the reader, rather than engaging them with your own storytelling. When done well, a familiar scenario can draw the reader into a desired mindset before the author either delivers on or upends that promise.
Happy Writing!
Holidays (offbeat, writing, and otherwise) to embrace this month:
July 04 - Independence Day in the USA
July 08 - Coca Cola Day
July 13 - International Day of Rock-n-Roll
July 19 - Take Your Poet to Work Day / Words With Friends Day
July 20 - Moon Day / Space Exploration Day
July 30 - Paperback Book Day
Writer's block? Try this month's prompt!
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