Most people have Rules of Thumb that they live by–consciously or not. A rule might be something personal like, “If the chance of rain is 30% or greater, I’ll carry an umbrella.” Or, “More than 5 years age difference, don’t date there.”  Or, “If I limit myself to one drink an hour, I can drink all night.”

Some Rules of Thumb have entered the popular vernacular. For example, “If you want something done, ask the busiest person you know.” Or, “Assume every gun is a loaded gun, and behave accordingly.”

For this exercise, identify three to five Rules of Thumb you live by. Choose one or more and make it/them central to your character’s functioning. What happens when the rules of thumb don’t hold up? Write the story–and have fun!