Scene Starter #9

Some scene starters are situations. Others are settings. This prompt is brought to you by one of my favorite paintings: Edward Hopper's Nighthawks. In it, four people inhabit the only lit space in a dark, desolate street. It's inspired many a spoof, stage play, short story, but its question remains poignant.

This is the only place open this late. Who's here and why? 

You can take this any direction you want. You can write a story about the three men and woman in the original painting, which can be found at the Art Institute of Chicago, or you could very well adapt it as some very creative folks have. A quick Google search turns up versions set in space (including one with Darth Vader next to the red haired woman), cartoonish figures, among many others. You can think of any establishment (it doesn't have to be a diner) open in the wee hours in any setting- a city, like the original, a fantasy realm, a small village in the desert, a suburb in Europe. It's as open-ended as the painting itself, the characters always nameless. It's practically an invitation, so get writing.

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be reproduced without the permission of the author. 

World Builder #8

In America, we sustain the myth of the determined, independent individual who pulls themselves up from nothing to become the best, the most powerful, et cetera. This is important to our cultural narrative, to the values imposed on the next generation. Whether that generation embraces or rejects the narrative and its idols is an important factor, too, all of which should be considered with the following prompt:

What types of people are raised up as your society's heroes? What traits do their contemporaries try to take from them? Are these heroes real or fictional, and how much pull do they have? 

If your society values might and bravery, Hercules or Thor would be the type of hero that suits their purposes. Kindness and selflessness would be reflected in a Mother Teresa type character. Cunning heroes like the Coyote of Native American folklore would serve a society in which inventiveness is praised. In asking yourself these questions, consider how old these values are, how deeply they're held, and why they came about in the first place. Consider change: the American values in our old folk heroes and the icons we've made the founding fathers to be sprang up from a society which valued self-determination over the cronyism and good genetic luck that made the kings and lords of their former European rulers. Consider whether the values are lived as well as espoused- some would argue that there is still cronyism and still a luck-of-the-draw factor at play for many Americans today. (Whether you agree or disagree is up to you. This is about writing.) If these traits are practiced and preached, how solidly are they taught and enforced?

These things say a lot about the society you're writing and the characters living within. If brawn is valued over brain, how do your intelligent characters feel about these heroes? Do they also idolize them for different reasons, the same reasons, or do they hate them? If Albert Einstein has inspired an entire civilization, what do the intellectual feel about that? Remember that it's okay to have complex feelings on these subjects- in fact, your characters likely should. Sort through their stories, and maybe even write a myth or legend or two to sprinkle details throughout your own.

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

Character Builders #37 & 38

Plot Hole's last post focused on characters reacting to challenges and trauma. Let's turn our attention to the opposite situation: how your character reacts to achievements and good news.

Your character finally gets the big promotion at work. What's her idea of an appropriate celebration? What's the first thing that runs through her mind? How does she handle delivering the news within the office sphere? Outside it? 

How does your character receive good news? Does he or she celebrate wholeheartedly, or is it always tempered by skepticism? Do they acknowledge their own successes? How? 

This is just as important as how they deal with setbacks, rejections, and crises. Eventually, in many stories, characters get what they have been working for, and it's crucial to understand how they'll react. Does your character bask in the knowledge that he's slain the dragon, or does he focus on how many were eaten before he got there? Does she do a touchdown celebration throughout her office when she finds she gets the promotion without concern for the others who had hoped for it? Or does she keep the news to a few trusted friends?

In the long run, if you plan on having your characters' goals realized, you'll need to write how they deal with the realization that they've done it. In written fiction, it's difficult to write a character who just stands there while they receive a medal. The reader will want to know what's moving through their head, and it only benefits you to think about that before your audience has the opportunity to wonder.

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

Character Builders #35 &36

People are fond of saying that "people sometimes shine brightest when things are darkest". A good deal of fiction deals with people in ugly situations: from war (A Farewell to Arms), unwanted pregnancy (A Farewell to Arms), death of a loved one (A Farewell to Arms). Sensing a pattern with Hemingway. At any rate, these prompts examine your character's response to adversity. 

While your character stands in line at the bank, a man pulls out a gun. What is your character's first response? What runs through their mind, and what action do they take? 

Does your character prefer to talk through bad situations or keep their reactions to themselves? What activities do they engage in, if any, in the aftermath of bad news or a traumatic event? 

You may consider the first prompt a scene starter if that floats your boat. Remember to think carefully. Perhaps you have a heroic character, but sometimes heroism is more in reflex than it is thought out. Maybe his first thought is "I don't want to die". Maybe his thought is "I don't want anyone in this room to die". Maybe all he thinks is "gun." Perhaps he considers the bank robber's motives, wonders if he has kids. The possibilities go on. A piece of advice given to me by my husband- a wise man in his own right, if you listen to him when not talking to cats, babies, or other animals- is to make a list of your first reactions, cross out the first four or five, and start working with some of the items you make up when you start scraping the bottom of the barrel. 

The second question deals with the aftermath, but is just as important. It's all well and good to know how your character tackles a gunman to the ground even though he's telling himself it's better to leave it to the police. It's just as impmortant to know if he has the jitters afterwards. If he's unused to stressful situations, he likely will. Does he want to discuss it with his wife? Does he want to be left alone to build his scale model replica R2-D2 in the garage? Is this indicative of how he deals with other stresses in his life? 

Obviously, there are tons of bad things that can happen in realistic fiction, and when you start adding more fanciful settings to the mix, that number skyrockets. Think outside the box when throwing obstacles at your characters as well as in conceiving of how they deal with them. 

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

Scene Starter #8

Not that many of my warm-state native friends can relate, but I love winter because of jackets. I like the way they look, I like the act of putting on another layer, and I always remember the one time I pulled out my snow coat and found a twenty dollar bill in it- a gift from my previously more affluent self. That crumpled up Andrew Jackson face made my week and inspired this scene starter: 

A piece of paper folded into a jacket pocket is forgotten until the jacket is passed on. What does it say? 

There are a few things to think about here. First of all, whose jacket was it originally? How did it come to the new owner- a Goodwill purchase, a bequeathing, a hand-me-down, a loaner? What is the actual message? How does your character take its meaning? And where will it take your story? 

BRB, stuffing some petty cash into a jacket pocket for December Cate to find. 

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

World Builder #7

Ever notice how little details about the facts of life seem missing when reading a fantasy world? Like no one needs to bathe, eat (unless it's a feast), use the bathroom? Everyone dies perfect, pretty deaths (unless it's a horror novel), and birth is usually pretty clean (unless it's convenient to the story). I'm not advocating replaying in vivid detail your character's visit to the water closet, but mentioning it every now and again when relevant wouldn't hurt. In the same vein, deciding on cuisine and referencing it can add another layer of relatability.

What do your people eat? What forms the backbone of their staples? What grows well? What's exotic? How big are the differences in what the poor and the rich eat? 

Take into account the climate of your area as well as the geographic features. A seaside kingdom would likely deal in a lot of fish. But what makes their fish different? How do they prepare it? Are they a kingdom of spicy food lovers? What preservation techniques, if any, are available? What's your world's equivalent of caviar. Remember to think outside the familiar, and bon apetit.

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

Character Builders #33 &34

Most successful stories find the boundaries of their characters and push at them. Identify where your character draws their lines and them put them in situations which defy them. For example: 

Would your character ever steal something? "Borrow" with the intent to return? Download something illegally? Take only from the rich? 

If the answer to any of these is no, of course it's your duty as author and serial character tormentor to place them into a scenario in which these happen for whatever reason. If the answer is yes, how much is too much? Do you have the sort of character who'd gladly empty the coffers of a local lord but stop at robbing an orphanage? Do you have an internet pirate who steals everything from movies to music, but won't steal video games? Ask yourself why. Maybe he has a beloved relative who's a game designer, or maybe he thinks it's easier to get caught. Find out why he steals. Convenience? Is he broke? Is he terrified of the government tracking devices he suspects are included with all Blu Rays? 

What's your character's most steadfast conviction? In what do they believe so thoroughly that neither logic nor irrational doubt will sway them? 

And again, it's your job to utterly trash or validate that. Let's say our downloader is faced with the piece of evidence that proves the government involvement with the makers of DVDs. Does anyone believe him? How does he feel knowing now that he is correct? Let's say that our pious do-gooder who'd never even accidentally steal a BIC pen is confronted with the horrifying truth- the parent who brought them up that way is an embezzeler. How do they react? 

How's that Day Job Challenge going? To be honest, mine has flagged- continued dental torture (I mean procedures) left me feeling as though there are a dozen and one valid excuses for me not to sit down for ten measly minutes and write whatever pops into my mind. For shame, Cate, for shame. Getting back up on that horse just as soon as I sign off here. For those of you still on the wagon, props and congratulations are in order. Let's keep moving together, shall we? Start by shaking some characters to their foundations.

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be reproduced without the permission of the author. 

Cate Lives! And Also World Builder #6, Scene Starter #7, and Character Builders #31 &32

Life after dentistry does exist. Two root canals and a wisdom tooth extraction later, here I am, puffy, tired, and a little bit drugged. Apologies for the delay, but here come the prompts!

World Builder!

What are the varying degrees to which your people show affection? What's socially appropriate for family, friends, romantic partners? 

Scene Starter! Assume this is the first sentence of your scene:

"I think you'd better leave," she said, voice quiet. 

Character Builders!

How does your character feel about religion and/or spirituality? Has that evolved, or has it remained the same?

How open is your main character with their emotions? 

BONUS CHALLENGE! Try to relate all of these prompts! 

Only partially kidding about that last one. Major kudos if you can do it. 

Tuesday's post will be much fuller, I think. In the meantime, I'm going to apply an ice pack shaped like a duck to my face and try to imagine that my jaw isn't throbbing. Till next time, Internet. 

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

Character Builders #29 & 30

Nothing to fear but fear itself, perhaps, but fear is a strong motivator. Even the most heroic characters must have fears, and you as the author must know what they are.

How fearful is your character? For what or whom are they brave? Of what are they so afraid that no amount of courage will motivate them? 

And:

How does your character cope in the face of fear? How has that changed over their years? How has it stayed the same? 

Understanding this, your responsibility as author is now to throw that fear at them. You've already done the legwork.

This special edition of the blog comes to you courtesy of the emergency oral surgery I need to have tomorrow (guess what my irrational fear is!). I hope very much that I'll be up and about on Thursday to bring you all the fun and scintillating questions and prompts that Plot Hole was meant for. If not, expect an extra large helping on Saturday. Wish me luck, internet.


All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

Scene Starter/Character Builder Hybrid #2

In any workshop, you hear facilitators demand about "stakes". They want to know what's important to your character, and why it should be important to us. Sometimes, though, determining that can be a little difficult. Here's a jumping off point. 

Think of something that happens in your story and reverse the outcome. If your character got what he or she wanted, take it away. If he or she was denied, surprise them. 

This can be entirely revealing. If your character wants to run his own bakery, works for it harder than anything in his life, and then it catches fire, what does he do? How does he react? Does he hang up his puffy hat for good and become an angry busker, or does he rebuild and come back stronger than before? Your character may dream of going to a good school, but not have the finances. She may count it as a lost cause. How does it feel then when she's offered a full ride to an Ivy League? What if she's already structured her life around the concept of not going?  

This exercise is particularly interesting in the later portion of a draft. If you're anything like me, you plan exactly where this book/story/screenplay is headed. Throwing a monkey wrench into that often produces interesting results and can shake me out of that most dreaded writer's block. Even if you don't end up keeping the revision to the game plan, you will likely still use the information you gain about your character, and you've taken a lovely little foray into the land of what-if. 

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

The Day Job Challenge: Sneaky Distractions (and Scene Starter #7, Character Builders #27 & 28, and World Builder #5)

This week, I failed.

This Sunday I worked at 5:30 AM. Big deal, morning folk say. I am not morning folk, and I ordinarily keep a midday schedule from 9-6 or 10-7.  As a result of the disruption, I did not sleep well the night before, and as a result of that, I got sick. Between the odd seven day work week, stress, an unseasonably cold evening of no sleep- needless to say, I fell off the wagon. But even worse, I fell ill with the oft-revisited delusion that ravages the work habits of writers.

Remember: researching, outlining, daydreaming, sketching characters, designing clothes and buildings and maps, revising, and reading (including books about writing) do not count as writing. Only the act of writing counts as writing.

Of course these things are all important, and keeping interest alive in your project during a hiatus is very much so. But they do not count. Ten minutes of writing per day count. Even with a cold, I should be able to keep up with that (today has been a success on that front).

To help on your way, a Scene Starter:

 If _________ hadn't done that, _____________ wouldn't have happened, and everything would have been great/horrible. 

And a pair of Character Builders:

What words are dirty for your character? Are they profane or just sound strange? 

I, for one, hate the word grotto. It sounds gross.

Would your character hate to be caught in the cold without a jacket or stuck in the heat forced to wear heavy clothing? 

And a World Builder for good measure:

What form of government does your world have? Who's in charge? How do they get to be that way? How are laws made? 

Most importantly, when slips are made for whatever reason, it's time to let go, take a breath, and get right back to writing. I for one am going to go make up for some lost time. Best of luck to you too, Challengers.

Scene Starter #6

The myth of George Washington's perpetual honesty pervades elementary school rhetoric. "I cannot tell a lie," he supposedly tells his father after the unfortunate demise of a cherry tree. Obviously, Washington was not infallible, but what if you had a character who was?

A man suddenly realizes that he has lost his ability to lie at the worst time possible. 

Is his child asking about Santa Claus? Has his wife asked the dreaded does-X-make-me-look-fat question? Has a coworker annoyed him at work and this sudden impairment left him unable to smooth the situation over? Further, how long will this last? How did it come about? What other unwitting truths will he tell?

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

World Builder #4

Always important to consider in any world is how the inhabitants place monetary value on objects. It's all well and good to decide whether an area is rich or poor, but the politics and interpersonal aspects of money lend a lot of flavor to that decision.

In your society, what is considered extravagant- a solid meal or a solid gold toilet? What's the attitude toward wealth and poverty? Is being wealthy important to most, or simply comfortable, or not starving? What sort of emphasis is placed on material possessions? 

Remember too that those without lots of money may still have plenty of stuff (tinkers, collectors, etc), and those who are fabulously rich may yet choose to live like paupers. Consider what having stuff means to your characters vs. not having stuff, and determine if everyone has one of those golden commodes, or if being able to wear shoes is a luxury. Especially consider whether disparity between the poor and the rich exists and how it affects your culture.


All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

Character Builders #23, 24, 25 & 26

For every person, there exists a set of limits- an uncrossable line after which the offense becomes unforgivable, the annoyance too great, and the off-putting too off-put. Even fictional people have these, and it's to your benefit to know where they are. In this case, let's consider interpersonal dealbreakers.

What are your character's dealbreakers when it comes to dating/romantic relationships? How do these notions affect their pursuits, courtships, or relationship maintanance? How do these differ from their romantic ideals? 

What are your character's limitations when it comes to business partnerships or coworkers? What would make them march up to HR? Conversely, what would they love to see in a coworker? 

What would cause your character to end a friendship (or stop pursuing one)? How does this differ from the above dealbreakers? What makes a friendship fast for them?

What actions would automatically estrange your character from a family member? Permanently or temporarily? Stony, silent Thanksgiving estrangement or blocked phone number estrangement?  

While considering these negatives, be sure to examine the positives as well. How would a friendship be instantly sealed? What could bring an estranged family member back into your character's life? Often, you'll be surprised that the dealbreakers and the dealmakers are actually not diametric opposites.

Extra challenge: find one of these relationships and put your character in the thick of it. For added frustration, add one or more of the remaining relationships. The best thing you can do in terms of a story is place your character into a situation they find deeply uncomfortable, and with these answers in hand, you will have a strong concept of why.

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

Character Builders 21 & 22

Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. Cliche, but remember that all cliches have a root in reality somewhere. If you're feeling as though you could be a little more familiar with your characters and perhaps a little more creative, put them in a situation which forces a decision- both for you and your character. For example:

Your character is forced to change professions within the week. What would they choose if they had the luxury of choice? What will they likely end up doing? What would they never want to do? 


And:

Is there ever any circumstance that would lead them to kill or seriously injure someone? How grave would that circumstance be? How would they feel after the fact? 


Just as in real life circumstances, urgency often brings out surprising facets in characters. You may be astonished to learn that your middle aged librarian carries a firearm in her purse and is ready to fire on any muggers that reach for it. Your deposed princess may very well find her bliss as a blacksmith, and your blacksmith might prefer to be a princess, but find herself becoming a pirate instead. When in doubt, throw an unavoidable curve ball your character's way and watch the details unveil themselves.


All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

Scene Starter #5

Sometimes, deviating from your current project if you have one can be good for you. It can bring the momentum back to your writing habits, rekindle the romance between you and the process of putting pen to paper or pixels to word processor. For this one, assume that the prompt is the first sentence of your scene.

Well, that wasn't what I expected to find in that cupboard. 

Write through this several times for best- and possibly amusing- results. It may spark something new, or you could have a lovely collection of paragraphs in which your first person narrator discovers all manner of intriguing, mundane, horrifying or delightful things in that cupboard. Have fun.


All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

World Builder #3

Chances are, if you're writing any sort of fantasy world, your character is going to spend a decent amount of time there and experience different sorts of climates, seasons, and days in general. Most writers have the general idea behind their settings down- mountains? Tall buildings? Desert? But remember, even in the steadiest environments, things do change. Believe me, having spent a good amount of time in Southern California, which residents claim stays a constant and sunny 68-80 degrees at all times (NOT true- please see El Niño and such), I can vouch for the movement of Mother Nature. Consider this question:

What are the weather patterns of your setting like? How do the shifts in seasons change dress and activity? What's considered good weather? How bad is bad? 

This is especially important when your character either stays in one location for a long time, or travels to many locations- in fact, you may have to ask yourself this question several times for several areas. Obviously this prompt is different if your setting is a fictional area in a real place, but the concept is the same- be aware of the way the weather will change depending on the time of year, and how your people will respond to it in terms of their clothes and lifestyle.


All posts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

The Day Job Challenge: Confession (and Character Builders #19, 20, 21 & 22)

I fell off the wagon, guys.

A few days ago, my housemate lent me her 3DS and this stupidly addictive game. When I get my hands on a video game, I don't stop until the final boss evaporates into pixels. Then I worked a weird shift at work. One thing led to another, and I haven't written for two days.

It doesn't matter why we stop writing- something as dumb as a video game or something as earth-shaking as a tragedy- eventually, we just have to pick up and start again.

"But I've already wrecked it," you (or I) might be tempted to say.

That's okay. Statistically speaking, we won't be able to succeed one hundred percent of the time. But if we don't come back at it when we don't succeed, we never will.

So the Day Job Challenge begins anew- ten minutes a day, every day. Even if you're stuck in a boss fight, you can pause the game. (Yeah, Cate, pause the game.)

To help you on your way, here comes a character builder!

Your character has a baby to name. What level of regard do they give the process? How creative are they? What would they ultimately pick? 

Your character is so attached to an inanimate object that they name it. What is the object? What is the name? How is this process compared to the one above? 


I think it's fairly telling if your character feels an instantaneous connection to a name for their car, but shrug and pick the most popular name for a kid. What object they pick also says an enormous amount about their personality. A famous example in nerddom is Firefly's Jayne, whose favorite gun is named Vera. I suspect if you handed him a baby and told him to name it, he would likely either name it after the gun or shrug. On the other hand, if your character stresses over the responsibility of assigning a name to a human being, that also opens up some questions. Do they have a creative name which got them tossed in trash cans in school? Were they one of seven Zachs in their class? Are they the sort of person for whom deciding what to have for dinner causes anguish, or is this an abnormal amount of stress?

Bonus!
Your character has a new pet to name. Is it a Sparky or a Whiskers, or do they weigh their options more?

Your character must name a fictional character. What would they pick? How invested in the decision are they? 

If you're really bored, then their character could name another fictional character, and the process could go on like a literary Escher piece. Character-ception?

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

Character Builders #17 & 18

In yesterday's post I talked about the process of building a core set of values for a society to be based around. Now let's talk about how your characters fit into that worldview. This is often a very basic part of understanding character in the context of your setting. Keeping your work on your society's moral foundation in mind, consider...

Is your character bound to the same set of ethics and morals as his or her society? Why or why not? How much so? How do they express that? How does their expression affect them?

Also:

If your character is an outsider to the society that you're writing, how do they fit in with the ideals they find there? How do your character's differences in values affect them while they're there?

Consider these carefully. People are not one-dimensional. Say your society is built around the concept that individuals should be as uniform as possible. Your character may disagree and long to be an individual, but surely there are some ways that he conforms. He may agree completely, but have slight qualms about certain aspects of the social code. If you have a visitor to this country or world or dimension, does she find the difference appalling, appealing, somewhere in between? How do the locals treat her? Remember that opinions shift, too- the answer to these questions may (and perhaps even should, depending on the story) change.

These questions also open up great thought processes about personality, too- there are many different ways to be. Your character could be disenchanted with his society, but choose to keep his disagreement silent for many reasons. Or he could be the willing pariah, voicing his disapproval to anyone who'll listen. Your outsider could find the focus on conformity new and exciting. She might come at the issue with the dispassionate eye of a scholar, or she might well be ready to completely integrate herself into this society. Let your mind wander a bit over these questions and see what comes back with it.

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

World Builder #2

World building can refer to a number of things. In small scale, it can mean coming up with a fictional town, city, or other setting for the story to inhabit. Slightly larger is conceiving a kingdom, country, city-state, collective, et cetera. Then we can zoom out to the idea of populating a planet or plane, and bigger still, a collective of planets, dimensions, planes, solar systems. It's a hefty task, and sometimes it's easy to get overwhelmed. Take it one step at a time. This week, we'll focus on societal issues. Your results may vary- after all, your setting might be a small town in contemporary America, so the larger social norms may still be at play, or you might be designing a galaxy with several dozen societies to make up. 

What is the core concept of your world's (setting's) value system(s)? 

It's a big question. Star Trek's Klingons, for example, prize honor above all else. In Lord of the Rings, the elves hold intellect and grace near and dear, while the dwarves prefer familiarity and fearlessness in battle and hobbits cherish the home. In Star Wars, the Jedi rally around a religion which emphasizes letting go of emotion while the Empire values subservience and conformity. And evil, I suppose. These are huge fantastical settings, but even the smallest town has its own politics and values. It's a Wonderful Life's Bedford Falls comes down on the side of loyalty, friendship and family. 

Stretch outside the limits of what you already know. For a really out there setting, consider something outrageous. Say you have a society of hedonists, and even their greetings and farewells are about food. Or a group of angsty individuals whose adherence to Nietzsche's philosophies drive their whole society. Likely dreary and impractical, but it's an idea. Reach outside of the comfort zone. Even Anytown, USA can become interesting when its inhabitants' whole outlook is built on the idea that you don't gossip, or eschew money in favor of giving, or that you shouldn't be allowed to have anything that you didn't make, hunt, gather, or steal yourself. 

And remember- cliches are cliches for a reason. If you find yourself reaching for a society that sounds a little too Klingon-esque, ask yourself why. Is it because your characters are all warriors? What other values do warriors carry that can become secondary motivators? 

The fun part comes next- do you have a character who moves with the flow of these values or against? We'll get into that one tomorrow. Until then, start a list of concepts and get to building some town, national, global, or galactic values. 

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

Plot Hole tumbls!

Just a quick post to let you know about the Plot Hole Living tumblr stream! It's a nifty way to get quick doses of prompt without explanation- perfect for those ten minutes I'm sure we all have set aside for the Day Job Challenge. Not everything from this blog will hit the tumblr, but it updates often. If you tumbl, join us!

See you tomorrow for regularly scheduled prompt-y goodness. Until then, take ten minutes, get your backside in a chair or other preferred writing roost and write. 

Character Builders 13, 14, 15, & 16: The Dumb Questions

When getting to be friends with someone, often we bond over the more ridiculous aspects of our relationships. My housemates and I, for example, learned our way around each other's peculiarities while discussing whether or not Mortal Kombat was an appropriate lens through which to view Sex and the City and making late night trips to fabric stores and one very memorable trek to a Toys R Us. While we don't expect to be friends with every single one of our characters, you still need to get to know them. And what better way to do that than by asking the same dumb questions that we ask our friends?

If your character could have any one superpower/magical power, what would it be? If they already have one, are they happy with it? Would they choose another?

Who knows-  the above question might turn your realistic fiction into a work of magical realism, if the answer catches your interest.

If your character were confronted by a fictional supervillain, how would they handle it? 

If your character will be confronted by a fictional supervillain in their own story, consider a famous bad guy. What would happen if they met Darth Vader or the Joker or Captain Hook?

If your character caught a leprechaun and was given the choice between keeping it captive and having three wishes or letting it free and gaining access to its unlimited pot of gold, which would he or she choose? 

Given the choice between imprisonment for a month or three five minute sessions of corporal punishment spread out over three months, which would he or she choose? Assuming of course that the imprisonment would not entail any corporal punishment or hard labor. 

They seem completely silly, but each of these questions still provides insight into the thought processes of a character. For example, a timid businessman faced with Voldemort might well prove that deep down, he wants to be a hero. Is money more important to him than the ability to magically improve things? Is his freedom more important to him than the idea of discomfort along the way? Does the fact that he dreams of becoming invisible mean something about how he interacts with people? Asking the dumb questions feels silly at first, but it's fun to consider what your straight-laced  suit wearer or vapid teenage girl or powerful wizard might do with the leprechaun. Also, unrelated: asking your housemates these questions over the course of writing this blog produces some laughter as well. The only thing I know for sure is that one of them emphatically chooses prison over beatings.  As would I, I think.


All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

SUPER Apology Post: The Day Job Challenge

Life gets in the way of writing sometimes. The point is not to let it. This week, I've had my first full week back at my day job since injuring myself in the most ridiculous of ways, and I found that the minute I got home, all I wanted to do was pass out.

RESIST.

Most writers must take day jobs. It's fact that playing with imaginary friends, making up your own languages, and plotting to make the lives of fictional people as miserable as possible does not pay right at the starting gate. If in your experience it does, please let me know the name of your publisher and how many times you had to submit your book- I'd love to have a conversation with them. For the rest of us, that means waiting tables, sitting in an office, writing page upon page of technical writing so dry that it spontaneously combusts. No one wants to do these things, but alas, unfed writers do not write.

So how do you deal with the fact that your day job (or night job, if that's your thing) doesn't line up with the desire to put words- your words- to paper? The way I see it, there are three options.

1. Cry.
2. Get very, very sleep deprived.
3. Do it a bit at a time.

Option one is nonproductive, as crying wastes the time that you could be writing, though let's be honest here. Most of us go through a time where we realize how desperately incompatible accepting overtime to fill the fridge is with getting down to the business we want to be doing. Crying at that point seems a reasonable response.

Option two gets results- sometimes. There's something to be said for the occasional midnight (or midday) fling with the word processor. But every single time you should be sleeping? That's going to lead to slides at work, home, and in your writing. Option two is like dessert: wonderful, sumptuous, and not to be indulged in every day.

Option three is my favorite, and the subject of this post. I call it the Day Job Challenge. Set aside ten minutes and get some rump-in-chair writing time in. If it goes past ten minutes into one of those decadent late night indulgences, great. If you can block out an hour, give yourself permission to write on through those ten minutes and make magic. If you're too dang tired, you've still done ten minutes of work, and that's good.

Loss of momentum is the leading cause of death for writing projects. The Day Job Challenge lets you keep it moving even when you've had a billion customers yell at you and you just feel like falling into bed. Ten minutes before bed or after dinner or on your break.  That's all it takes.

I'm going to have to practice what I profess, too. Keep me accountable. I've always been a fan of NaNoWriMo, but when that month ends, there's no website keeping track of your goal. Be your own website- make a spreadsheet, keep a calendar. Write a blog. Excuses are lame. See first paragraph for lameness.

We all fall off the wagon and give in sometimes to the weariness of the workplace. But make at least ten minutes per day yours. Put the phone on silent, shut the door on roommates, spouses, kids, pets, parents. And above all else, just do it. Because that's the only way you're ever going to get anything written. 

Scene Starter #4 (Character Builder Hybrid)

This strange amalgam of prompt stems from those tricky moments in which you have a lovely, well-defined character in mind, but no story for them to inhabit. Sometimes you're lucky enough to have a story and a character to start with, but no idea where to begin! That's where this double prompt comes in handy.

Your character receives the worst news imaginable to them at the moment via surprise phone call. What is it? 

Or: 

Your character receives the best possible news tucked in among the bills and junk mail. What is it? 

Or you could expand: 

Your character receives what they thought was the worst possible news, but then it gets worse. How?

Or: 

Your character thinks that he or she has gotten the worst news of his or her life, but somehow it turns out to be the best thing that could have happened to them at the moment. How is this possible?

Or even further: 

Your character gets the best possible news at the worst possible time.

I like to plot out all the ways these sorts of conundrums could unfold, then choose which gets the strongest reaction from me. For example, your character is a teenager waiting for her college acceptances. In the first scenario, she gets a phone call letting her know she didn't get into her dream school. In the second, she gets a full ride scholarship. In the third, she not only gets the call, but also finds out that her dad forgot to mail the rest of her applications. In the fourth, she finds out she didn't get into her school, but then finds out that the program that she applied to is racked with scandal. In the fifth, she is in the midst of consoling her best friend over her rejections when her dad bursts in crowing that your main character made it into her first choice.

To me, the last scenario produces the most possibilities, and creates a conflict from the start. It also showcases your main character's priorities- does she try to quiet her dad and focus on cheering up her friend (and probably doing some damage control), or is she too busy celebrating the fact that her dream has come true? Let your character start you off, and you're on your way to a great beginning.

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

Character Builders #11 & 12

Sometimes the littlest details about a character suddenly bring them from the realm of the fictional to feeling real. Consider, for example, their taste in food:

Does your character prefer to indulge in things that are salty or sweet? Can they handle spicy foods? 

Or try to understand where their sentimentality starts and ends:

There is a fire and your character only has time to save three things. Assuming all members of the household and pets have been rescued, what would he or she pick? 

The more you understand a character- even if these little tidbits of knowledge never make it into a final draft- the easier it will be to communicate their personality. A person who enjoys spicy foods, for example, may wind up being the more adventurous sort. A person with the presence of mind to grab birth certificates, social security cards, and a checkbook may be the sort of practical individual who plans ahead. One who saves their childhood teddy bear, a picture of a beloved relative, and their wedding dress may well be more emotionally attached to items. Mentioning these details in passing also serves to bring the character to life for the reader. It's a lot subtler to mention a gymnast digging enthusiastically into a plate of Carl's famous Five Alarm Nachos than to say "Jenny was always bold." Food for thought.

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but cannot be republished without the permission of the author. 

Scene Starter #3

Sometimes, it's good to be realistic. Sometimes, outlandish fiction is more fun. Here's a prompt that plays with normality versus insanity.

You have accidentally picked up somebody else's luggage on your international flight, but don't realize it until you return to your hotel room. The bag is identical to yours in color and brand. What is the first item inside that tips you off? What else is in there? Is it run of the mill, or is it extremely strange and/or valuable?Was your luggage full of normal stuff too? What do you do with the bag? 

Extra challenge- try writing this scene first from the perspective of a regular traveler expecting the usual folded undergarments and space for souvenirs and discovering, say, a trove of rare artifacts or the evidence to a crime or completely inexplicable and seemingly unrelated items. Next, try writing as an art thief who expected to finally have gotten away with the Mona Lisa or a child who has packed all of their favorite toys and instead gets a businessman's carefully packed suits or a tourist's camera. Bon voyage.


All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but cannot be republished without the permission of the author. 

Apology Post: Character Builders 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10

Since I was awful and taking care of house cleaning yesterday, I'm behind a post. Bad writer! To make up for it, here's an extra long round of character building exercises! Get ready to really dig deep and ask invasive questions of your characters.

Here we go:

Name your character's: 
-biggest irrational fear
-biggest founded fear
-one touchy hot button issue
-guilty pleasure 


And a bonus:

If there is one person, living, dead or fictional that your character would want to meet, who would it be? Someone they could see again? 

Conversely, if there is one person that he or she never wanted to see again, who would it be? Who would they never even want to meet for the first time? 

And a story starter for good measure: Take the last prompt and make sure that character meets them. Better yet, blend Character Builders 9 & 10. Take someone he or she'd like to meet and turn them into someone they'd never want to see again, or take somone he or she'd never want to see and turn them into that one individual they can't help but want to revisit.

Okay, let's hope that I don't miss any more days, or I'm going to have to give out a bunch of ideas all at once again. Very sorry.


All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but cannot be republished without the permission of the author. 

World Builder #1

If you enjoy writing any sort of fantasy or science fiction world whose rules differ from our own, it's not all about cool weaponry and fancy-sounding names. The same sort of detailed thought that goes into the building of a character's personality should also go into putting a world together. Time to start asking some seemingly nitpicky questions to make sure that the settings you're working in work for the story you want to write.

For example:

What kind of currency system does your world use? Dollars, universal money, barter, gold, space credit? What kind of value do its inhabitants place on wealth? 

This one's a tiny pet peeve of mine in lots of fantasy and sci-fi novels even by seasoned pros. The assumption that their totally unique world's economy functions exactly the same as Earth's/their country of origin's takes a richness out of the book that is really easy to add. Details like this go a long way in a world that is unfamiliar to readers, whether you want them to feel as though they're on the outside looking in or whether you want them to eventually feel at home there. The big questions absolutely need to be there- races, languages, geography- but feel free to take a magnifying glass to the little facets of day to day life that bring some life into your setting.

All prompts in this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but cannot be republished without the permission of the author. 

Character Prompts # 3 & 4

A character prompt for you on this lovely Tuesday afternoon. This time, consider your character's financial priorities.

Given an unlimited budget, what would your character buy at a department store? Off the internet? 

On the other hand:

If your character suddenly lost his or her job or other financial means, what would be the first thing he or she would sell? 





All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

Getting Started: Scene Starters #1 & 2

Sometimes writing anything at all can help unstick a particularly stubborn piece, even if it's not anything related to the story you're working on. But when you've had a certain main squeeze project, seeing another story casually can be counterintuitive and difficult to start. It can be as simple as thumbing through a magazine and imagining the stories behind the ads or people watching and writing down what you see.

You can also use these little scenarios to get that scene- and who knows, maybe that brand new piece- moving.

In the middle of the night, a man pounds on the door. Why is he there? 

Bonus prompt!

An inanimate object suddenly becomes aware. What is its first thought? 

Start your pens!




All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but cannot be republished without the permission of the author. 

Getting to Know You: Character Prompts #1 & 2

I was a creative writing major in college, and I had a professor who was absolutely convinced that the only way to accurately write a character was to get to know them just like you'd get to know any flesh and blood person. For those of us of the introverted persuasion, knowing where to start can be difficult. You know you need a name, you know you need an age, a race, physical characteristics. But what about all those weird little quirks that people have?

Enter character prompts. For example:

If you could raid your character's MP3 player/CD stash/album box/sheet music collection, what would you find? 

And since this is the first post, let's throw in a bonus question for good measure:

Say your character is building a house. What three features would they absolutely be unable to live without? 

Not all of this stuff will make it into your story, and it shouldn't necessarily. But having the knowledge in the back of your head will help you understand your character a little bit better and let you make informed decisions about their movements and thoughts.

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but cannot be republished without the permission of the author. 

Hello, Internet

The little flashing line at the top of a fresh document. Inviting, but intimidating. Like a blind date, you're never quite sure where this document will take you. Maybe you'll commit to this one and publish it, post it, turn it in, whatever you want to do with it. Or maybe the spark just won't be there and you'll give it the old "it's not me, it's you." So many possibilities in a little blinking line. So where to start?

Just like with a date, we start with hello. We talk a little bit about where this whole thing is going- but not too much, or we risk overloading our new acquaintance, freaking them out. We introduce ourselves.

Hi, I'm Cate. I'm an aspiring young adult writer living currently in Southern California with her speculative fiction writer husband, two cats, and two writerly housemates (and one nonwriterly one, but he's still awesome). I'm starting this blog because (surprise!) I like to write. I also like to talk to other writers about writing. I like to write about writing.

And that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'll post writing questions, prompts, character dating advice, a polemic or two, and lots of other fun writing based stuff.  I'll try to coax my housemates and other writerly folk to send in some guest posts. I might review a book or two.

Full disclosure- I identify as a writer because I write, not necessarily because I've gotten published and have lots and lots of super sage advice. I definitely have a day job. I'm coming at this blog from the perspective of someone who really loves the act of writing, thinking about writing, helping other people think about writing, and reading other people's writing.

That said: hello, Internet. Let's have some fun.