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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 of a letter in which a character expresses their love for another in a passionate but comedic way, like Morticia and Gomez.

2. Write a few pages inspired by this famous couplet by Ezra Pound (“In a Station of the Metro”): “The apparition of these faces in the crowd / Petals on a wet, black bough.” Does a character interact with one of the people in the crowd? What is the meaning behind the gloomy setting?

3. Imagine there is a knock on a character’s door, and when they peer through the peephole, they see someone who they haven’t seen in over a decade. Write a few pages telling us who the visitor is and why they're showing up now.

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Tips:

1. Reading a story requires patience and paying attention to detail. With so many available distractions, we can sometimes miss important aspects of a story we’re reading, especially if we’re multitasking or face interruptions. A quiet, distraction-free environment is ideal, but no matter where you’re reading, try to focus on the story alone. There is no shame in re-reading either!

2. 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.

3. Whether they are about clowns, climbing a treacherous mountain, or a fear of rejection, scary stories get our hearts beating because they are able to achieve a level of suspense. While it may seem like you'd want to utilize fast pacing in such a story, mix it up with slower-paced moments too. These help create anticipation.

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