This week, write a synopsis of your novel. Start with only three sentences, one for each act. Then, flesh out the major plot points until you get to 250 words.
Tag Archives: practical prompts
Practical Prompt 6-17-19
Practical Prompt 5-13-19
This week, choose a book that has a similar feel to the story you’re working on. Read a page or two before you start writing to set the tone for the session.
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Tagged inspiration, practical prompts, writing tips
Practical Prompt 3-11-19
If a scene isn’t coming together, try using a bulleted list to help you work through it. Include character action, introspection and motivation, as well as interactions with other characters or your setting. Focus on creating a step-by-step list of how one thing leads to the next. Don’t worry about writing complete sentences at this stage of the process. The goal here is to figure out the sequence of events and how your character reacts to or is affected by those events. Once you have a solid list of things to highlight in the scene, work through those bullet points by turning them into prose.
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Tagged first draft, practical prompts, writing life, writing tips
Practical Prompt 12-10-18
Don’t let the holidays stall your writing. Now is the time to test out new strategies to keep making progress on your manuscript. Try dictating into your phone when you’re away from your computer. Or, keep a notebook in your pocket while you’re shopping to capture brilliant lines before you lose them. Experiment with a few voice-to-text apps for your portable device. If you’re revising, print out a hard copy of one of the scenes you’re working on and keep it with you. Then, if you’re stuck somewhere waiting, you can use that time to edit it. By getting creative, you’ll be able to move your project forward despite your busy schedule.
Practical Prompt 11-19-2018
This week, we celebrate Thanksgiving – a day when families gather together and carry on long-held traditions. As you work on your manuscript, decide how family traditions, or the lack of them, will shape each of your characters.
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Tagged character development, characters, practical prompts, writing tips