Suzanne Collins' book, The Hunger Games has enthralled audiences of all ages (myself included) and is a textbook example of how to write popular fiction. This week I'm going to list writing topics inspired by the book:WARNING: These topics contain some minor spoilers about the book.
- Hunger -- When was the last time that you felt gnawing hunger? How did it change your mindset? How do much do you think that it impacted the personalities of the characters in the story? Write about hunger.
- Competition -- Competition and games have been part of humanity since almost the beginning of time. We have entire TV networks devoted to games. Can you see something like the Hunger Games emerging once again in the world?
- Trust -- Surviving the Hunger Games involves a great deal of paranoia on the part of Katniss. She is always questioning who she can trust, and how much she can trust them. Write about trust. Why is it so important? What is life like without it?
- Hunting -- Have you ever hunted? What was it like? How did you feel?
- Sacrifice -- Katniss volunteers to take the place of Prim during the Reaping with the knowledge that she will die as a result of this sacrifice. Sacrifice makes no sense for self-preservation, but you hear about incidences of it all of the time. What things are you willing to sacrifice your life for?
- The Games -- How well do you think you'd fare in the games? Could you kill with the knowledge that others would kill you? Could you kill in cold blood? Betray an alliance?
- Big Brother -- In the arena, the contestants know that there are cameras on them at all times. This awareness impacts the characters actions, including the creation of a "fake" romanace between Katniss and Peeta. There are more and more cameras out there in the world, watching us everywhere. How do you feel about this? How do you think this impacts our behavior?
