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Writers' Workshop

Strangers on a Train

In this workshop we'll explore the power of the unexpected encounter: how placing two strangers together in a confined space can create tension, curiosity, intimacy, and revelation.

Some of the most compelling stories begin with people who have no reason to know one another. A train carriage, a waiting room, a café, an elevator: ordinary spaces can become charged when two lives briefly intersect. What makes these encounters powerful isn't necessarily what the characters say, but what they notice, what they withhold, and the small details that gradually reveal that their lives may be more connected than either of them realises.

In this workshop, we'll explore how to build a compelling encounter without relying on exposition or melodrama. We'll look at how dialogue, gesture, observation, and carefully chosen details can reveal character — and how a seemingly insignificant meeting can acquire meaning as the story unfolds.

Writing Challenge: "Strangers on the Same Train"

Write a short story (850 words max) about two strangers who find themselves sitting opposite each other on a train. One of them is carrying something the other desperately needs — but neither character knows this at the beginning.

• Keep the story entirely on the train. The carriage is your world.
• Begin with the characters as complete strangers. Establish their differences through observation rather than explanation.
• Let their conversation develop naturally. Avoid giving either character a long backstory or explanation of who they are.
• Use small details — an object, a gesture, a hesitation, something overheard — to gradually reveal what each character wants or needs.
• By the end, the reader should understand why the object matters and why this particular encounter could not have happened with just anyone.

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