A lesson in less

Here's a writing exercise you can do that will stimulate your creativity and force you to be clear, concise and complete. The object of the exercise is to write a story in 100 words or less and make sure the story includes a pre-designated word. For example, the word might be "soup." Your job is to write a credible story using no more than 100 words and including the word "soup." The story should have a plot and a distinct beginning, middle and end. If you try this exercise, what will probably happen is that you will do your darndest to be concise and yet, you will probably exceed 100 words on your first try. So you will have to edit - eliminating any words that aren't absolutely essential. At first, you will think it is impossible. But you will be surprised by the result. It is just an exercise and yet it provides some lessons that are well worth learning as we strive to improve our writing skills.