Your Prompts and Tips
Some free resources to help you write better and achieve the success you deserve
This is a selection we've harvested from our archives, RELOAD THE PAGE for more!
Prompts:
1. Flip the common symbolism of rain on its head. Instead of having it symbolize sorrow, write a few pages about a character who radiates joy on a stormy day.
2. Write a few pages in which a family checks into a hotel to begin a vacation and immediately notices something off—whether it be the room, the staff, or the guests.
3. Write a few pages about a character who decides to start a garden in their backyard and uncovers an ancient artifact in the dirt that certainly doesn’t belong there. How did it get there? What will they do with it?
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Tips:
1. When analyzing the conflict of a story, it is valuable to examine the stakes that each character faces if the outcome is not in his or her favor. When you are reading, weigh the stakes. Ask yourself what they have to lose: is it a tangible object like a beloved family heirloom, simply their time, or even a friendship?
2. Take a close look at the world of the story. Could the story be told somewhere else to the same effect? Does it drive the plot in any way? For example, Sue Monk Kidd's “The Secret Lives of Bees” would not be the same if it were set anywhere but in South Carolina in 1964. Any time you read, pay special attention to the storyworld in which it's set. Is that world integral to the plot? How so?
3. One of the best ways to learn is to teach someone else. When it comes to reading, an effective way to make sure you understand a story is to tell it to someone else. Make it a point to summarize a story in a few sentences after you finish it. How would you explain it to a friend? If you find yourself struggling to encapsulate it, it may be time for a reread.
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TRACKING:
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TO DO LIST:
Add tasks to your sortable list, then revel in checking them off.
SCRATCHPAD:
Cache your gems as they fall in this always accessible place.
PRIVATE JOURNAL:
Reflect on your process — good, bad and ugly — in your dated diary.
TRACKING:
Measure your progress with key writing metrics, automatically,
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