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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. Write a few pages with a literal take on the “dog days of summer.” Does it mean a period when people worship dogs? Or is it a time when dogs are able to talk? Be creative!

2. Write a few pages of a story that begins with the phrase “It was a dark and stormy night." Maybe your character unravels a mystery between the clashes of thunder.

3. Studies have found that there are 27 emotions. Imagine a 28th is discovered, totally unlike any others, that changes the way we think of emotion altogether. Come up with a name for it and define what it is. Then write a few pages showing how a character discovered it.

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Tips:

1. Literature is a mirror into the author's mind, but also into the reader’s. Every story is open to interpretation: yours, mine and theirs. When discussing a story with others, focus on how the work elicits your interpretation, and be specific. Don't be dismissive of other people's interpretations. Instead, ask how they came to it.

2. 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.

3. Whether it’s between a mother and daughter, two long lost friends, or an old man and his pet iguana, relationships are a dynamic part of any story. As you write (and read), keep in mind how all the different relationships in any given story drive the plot forward and raise the stakes.

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TO DO SCRATCHPAD PRIVATE JOURNAL TRACKING Update Assessment
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TO DO LIST:
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SCRATCHPAD:
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PRIVATE JOURNAL:
Reflect on your process — good, bad and ugly — in your dated diary.

TRACKING:
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