This is the exercise I originally wanted to write last week, before I got side-tracked by good ol' Bugs and his Pismo Beach. Travel and journeys has been on my mind in terms of story rather a lot, not only from my own recent experience but from scenes that I'm currently working on in my novel and shorts.

This one you can make up completely if you like, but I find it more entertaining and often more absurd and original if you start with your own experience and build. So - think of a journey you took where things didn't quite go to plan. Doesn't have to be a big journey - it could have been a walk to the shops, or your daily commute to work. It could even be walking to the other end of your house. But something unexpected cropped up, something that made your day just a little unusual. That's your starting point.

And then things get really weird.

Let your imagination play. Bring in aliens or mythical creatures if you want to, but often the most bizarre, dramatic and character-revealing trials can be perfectly mundane in origin.