November 20, 2009 at 1:30 am (National Novel Writing Month, Weekly prompt, Writing Challenges)
Tags: NaNoWriMo, novels, theme, three words, writing exercises, writing prompt
Theme: Midway
Words:
dappled
fearsome
firefly
For any of the NaNoWriMo novelists out there struggling to stay on track, despite increasinly unweildy plots and unruly characters, here are some suggestions to get your characters out of a rut. These don’t have to end up in the finished book, but they might teach you something about your characters
along the way, and besides, they’re far more fun than following a pre-planned plot:
- Dream Sequences – great for wordcount, these can be written in pure freefall, stream of consiousness mode; best of all, you don’t have to worry about them making any sense (although you can feel free to pack them full of meaning and symbolism if you really want to)
- Flashbacks – not sure where your characters’ motivations are coming from? Take a trip back in time. What were they like as kids? Did they experience any life-changing, momentous events (tragic or otherwise)?
- Unexpected Encounters – How would your characters react if they were thrown into completely unexpected circumstances? How would they handle themselves if, say, the world was suddenly attacked by aliens? Invaded by giant pink mushroom-eating alligators? Or if the town they lived in inexplicably became a circus overnight?
As usual, remember comments are semi-moderated, so don’t worry if your comment doesn’t show up right away. Newcomers can learn more about Saturday Scribes here (including how to do a permalink to your post) and read the prompt guidelines here.
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November 6, 2009 at 1:10 am (Fiction, National Novel Writing Month, Weekly prompt, Writing Challenges)
Tags: characters, exercises, interview, NaNoWriMo, theme, three words, writing
November is novelling month for all the NaNoWriMo writers out there, so for each Friday in November we’ll be posting special novel-related exercises along with the usual word and theme prompts.
Having trouble fleshing out your characters? Wanting to get to know them better, without taking time away from that frantic push towards 50k? Set up an interview with your characters. Sure, it’s a bit of a detour from the story, but it’s amazing how much more you’ll know about your characters once you’re finished. Best of all, you can write it right into the story! MC lost in space, or wandering through medieval Germany? Not a problem. It’s NaNoWriMo, after all, where spontaneous purple elephants and other random gear shifts into ridiculous improbability abound – who says Oprah isn’t waiting around the next corner, just dying to interview our famous hero?
To help get you started, I’ve compiled a list of interview questions over the past couple of years, many of which were gleaned from a forum on that very topic over at the April Fools NaNo-spinoff site. Clicking on this link here will get you to a PDF version of the interview questions.
For those of you who are in poem or short-story mode, consider the most unlikely interview you can imagine having (think of how much success Anne Rice had running with that idea!). For the traditionalists, the usual weekly prompts can be found below.
Theme: Complicated
Words:
curvaceous
latitude
beneath
As usual, remember comments are semi-moderated, so don’t worry if your comment doesn’t show up right away. Newcomers can learn more about Saturday Scribes here (including how to do a permalink to your post) and read the prompt guidelines here.
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October 8, 2009 at 9:48 pm (Fiction, National Novel Writing Month, Weekly prompt, Writing Challenges)
Tags: four words, NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, preparation, theme, writing prompt
On time this week! Don’t forget to sign up for NaNoWriMo if you haven’t already. Only 23 days to go…
In November, along with the usual Saturday Scribes prompts there will be special novel-development prompts and exercises, for those working on their 50k-novel-in-30-days. Participants are welcome to post links to their NaNo novel excerpts during the month of November.
Theme: Preparation
Words:
scramble
brag
human
factory
As usual, remember comments are semi-moderated, so don’t worry if your comment doesn’t show up right away. Newcomers can learn more about Saturday Scribes here (including how to do a permalink to your post) and read the prompt guidelines here.
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October 5, 2009 at 5:48 pm (Fiction, Weekly prompt)
Tags: all hallow's eve, graveyard, halloween, Neil Gaiman, scary, spooky, theme, words, writing prompt
Away again over the weekend, once again finding myself without internet access. I keep thinking we’re living in a Bruner/Gibson future where everything is connected, and then finding out my computer isn’t compatible with the hotel’s “plug ‘n’ play” internet access, and that my phone has mysteriously run out of minutes when it should be topping up automatically. Sigh. So here they are, a bit later than expected. Enjoy!
The overall theme for this week’s prompts is by request, in anticipation of All Hallow’s Eve (some of our writers wanted to try their hand at writing a scary story for Oct. 31st). I’ve included more than the usual amount of words, so for this week don’t feel you need to use all of them, just pick whichever ones get your fingers twitching.
Theme: What goes bump in the night
Words:
darkness
razor
whisps
slithery
circling
black
patter
drainpipes
dripping
prickle
tangled
buried
(All of this week’s words were taken, somewhat randomly, from Neil Gaiman’s Hugo award winning novel “The Graveyard Book“)
As usual, remember comments are semi-moderated, so don’t worry if your comment doesn’t show up right away. Newcomers can learn more about Saturday Scribes here (including how to do a permalink to your post) and read the prompt guidelines here.
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September 18, 2009 at 9:07 am (Announcements, Weekly prompt)
Tags: Announcements, creative, four words, prompt, theme, writing
We’re back! Writing prompts are posted weekly, first thing on Friday, from September through June, with a break during the December holiday season. Once the prompts are up, you can feel free to post a link to your creative writing (whatever form it may take). Writers are also welcome to browse the site for earlier prompts, but if you want people to read your stuff it’s best to post your link in the most current Scribes posting. Contributions of writing quotes and links to news and articles of interest to writers are also welcome, as long as they’re not advertising anything commercial (links to writing contests and conferences are okay). Enjoy!
Theme: Precarious
Words:
guided
irresistible
sunspot
bravado
As usual, remember comments are semi-moderated, so don’t worry if your comment doesn’t show up right away. Newcomers can learn more about Saturday Scribes here (including how to do a permalink to your post) and read the prompt guidelines here.
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