to sort of ask for help with my homework (adult writing)?

[ThisWasAMistake]

OK. I know I'm being unreasonable but desperate times call for desperate measures. My friend who has been having a horrific time recently signed up for a writing course to give her some purpose/direction. I (stupidly) trying to be a good friend to support her agreed to go with her. I thought it would be just a bit of moral support but no I have to come up with product. I'm no writer.

I need to come up with a reason for a story to have urgency. As in protaganist has to do X by Y date.

The only idea I've got is a terminal illness which is no good as it's depressing. Another idea I had was trying to expose someone by the date of an election.
I'm aiming for a chick lit type genre as that's about the only level I can attain.

I'd like to write a story about a woman helping another woman to achieve something.

Any ideas to help me? I've got nothing...

How about the main character made a promise with her childhood best friend that they’d do xx by the time they turned 30? That could be anything.

Or they have enough money saved to last six months without taking the soul sucking job?

The key is to have a rough idea what you want the story to accomplish and then ponder what would have an impact on the premise.

You need something with a clear deadline / ending e.g birthday, pregnancy, wedding date etc… (was trying to think of chick-lit type scenarios!)

What about a woman who is trying to find her friends birth mother/long lost parent/other relative before she gives birth to her first child? Or the same concept but before she gets married? Or a woman encouraging her friend who is afraid of flying before they take their first holiday abroad? Is it just a short story or a more in depth piece?

Suspense = Journalist has to have a deadline, given a tip off for major story, jurno does some digging, gets the lowdown, story due for press run, jurno realises serious error has to get story stopped before it gets aired/ printed/ put on line (you could write it set in the 30s...so before it goes to print, as jurno realises if it goes to print could lead to series ramifications for an innocent party)
Thriller = Mates on holiday, go diving, problem with one of the oxygen tanks.... will it get sorted in time, what caused the malfunction?
Comedy = Theatre production; director is freaking out because whilst in rehearsals things keep going wrong, opening night looms but will the play go on?
Romance = Person A has been in a relationship but feels person B, isn't into it. Person A decides to start a new life and, gets plane ticket. Person B realises they can't live without A but will they get to the airport on time?
Sci-fi = a new planet has been discovered and known to support life, meanwhile earth is dying, will it be possible to evacuate you in time? Who gets to choose who stays and who dies....

Want to do something by a big birthday

Find a relative before they die

Imminent birth of baby

Moving abroad

Deadline in chicklit: pregnancy, wedding date, something work-related.

MumLit stuff - have to sort a costume for school with very short notice, throw a birthday party that had been forgotten, host a dinner party ditto?

I’ve always wanted to write a novel set on a cruise. Maybe there’s a mystery that needs solving by the time they dock, or a romance that has to decide if it’s a holiday fling or more. Or there’s a decision to be made once they land.

Oh, heir hunters! That was such a fun TV show about companies searching out the heirs of people who die without wills. The urgency is to get the heirs signed up before your competitors. Lots of fun complicated family dynamics involved.

Actually your own idea could be fantastic and not at all depressing. You could do something around helping someone achieve a life long dream or something. It could be a really beautiful, inspiring story.

Main character must finish a work project before she gives birth. She could be a detective, perhaps to add urgency.
Nothing wrong with the terminal illness idea though could be done in a dark humour/uplifting type way.

000000! Some very good ideas here thank you. The wedding one sounds like a good plan.

I think the trouble with do something by 30th birthday or an agreement is that isn't really that urgent because it's just a self imposed deadline that you could agree to move. #

@Lex345 thanks for the encouragement but it is depressing and like I said I'm no writer. I've just got into a bad situation to help out my friend. On the plus side she is really enjoying it so I should get my reward in heaven.

@bridgetreilly the cruise one is also good alas I know nothing about cruising. Maybe an urgent excuse to take my friend on a cruise!