Talking Shop: Taking on National Novel Writing Month

I participated in NationalNovel Writing Month for the first time in 2006, and I really never expected to finish. At the time I was just out of college, working part-time at Starbucks, and had just discovered a love of tabletop roleplaying.

I don’t recall exactly what motivated me to finally undertake the challenge of writing 50,000 words in 30 days. I’d heard of NaNoWriMo before and even been encouraged by friends to try it out, but I’d never had the inspiration—i.e., courage—to give it a try.

Wednesday Writing Challenge: A Picture's Worth

Welcome to the Wednesday Writing Challenge! 

Every Wednesday, I pose a new writing challenge here on the blog. These challenges come from books on writing, classes I've taken on creative writing, or sometimes just from my own imagination. If you're an author, hopefully they will help you get your writing juices flowing and help you improve your craft.

 

Some of these challenges may be very good ones or may include an element I consider highly important for writers to learn...so occasionally I may cycle through some of my favorites more than once. 

 

??  Want to Participate  ??

The Wednesday Challenges are open to all readers. In order to participate, simply comment on the challenge post with your response to the exercise. Not only is it good practice, but you could win something nifty and fun!

 

August Prize: A 4-Pack of Brantwijn Serrah "Flirts"

Change of Pace

Phone Home

Eat Dessert First 

And the Breathless Press Bestseller

All Mad Here

 

All Flirts contain 2 coupons for more Breathless Press Titles!

~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~

PLEASE REMEMBER YOU MUST BE SIGNED UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER. OTHERWISE I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO NOTIFY YOU IF YOU WIN!

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 And now...

***Here's Today's Challenge!***

 

 Open up a magazine and point to a random picture. Write a story about the people in the picture. What are they doing?

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Hints and Tips:

Be creative! Look beyond the literal interpretation of the picture. Make it something unique and interesting.

Go with your first creative instinct, no matter what it is.

The point of this exercise is to allow you to create something without any boundaries but what you perceive. Take an exciting path and follow it freely. Your only limit is in length: try to do this in 5-7 sentences.

Give me your best, darlings!!

 

Wednesday Writing Challenge: Sensory Deprivation

Welcome to the Wednesday Writing Challenge! 

Every Wednesday, I pose a new writing challenge here on the blog. These challenges come from books on writing, classes I've taken on creative writing, or sometimes just from my own imagination. If you're an author, hopefully they will help you get your writing juices flowing and help you improve your craft.

 

Some of these challenges may be very good ones or may include an element I consider highly important for writers to learn...so occasionally I may cycle through some of my favorites more than once. 

 

??  Want to Participate  ??

The Wednesday Challenges are open to all readers. In order to participate, simply comment on the challenge post with your response to the exercise. Not only is it good practice, but you could win something nifty and fun!

 

August Prize: A 4-Pack of Brantwijn Serrah "Flirts"

Change of Pace

Phone Home

Eat Dessert First 

And the Breathless Press Bestseller

All Mad Here

 

All Flirts contain 2 coupons for more Breathless Press Titles!

~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~

PLEASE REMEMBER YOU MUST BE SIGNED UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER. OTHERWISE I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO NOTIFY YOU IF YOU WIN!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 And now...

***Here's Today's Challenge!***

Write about an everyday interaction.

Walking the dog.

Gardening.

Eating a meal.

Chatting at the office.

Spending time with a loved one.

Make up your own.

Describe the experience as though you are completely blind.

Wednesday Writing Challenge: Writing Under Restrictions

Welcome to the Wednesday Writing Challenge! 

Happy September, Lovelies!

It's a new month, which means a new prize!

And just because I feel like it, today you get

~~~ 3 Challenge Entries for Participating! ~~~

(but that means it will be tough....)

Every Wednesday, I pose a new writing challenge here on the blog. These challenges come from books on writing, classes I've taken on creative writing, or sometimes just from my own imagination. If you're an author, hopefully they will help you get your writing juices flowing and help you improve your craft.

 

Some of these challenges may be very good ones or may include an element I consider highly important for writers to learn...so occasionally I may cycle through some of my favorites more than once. 

 

??  Want to Participate  ??

The Wednesday Challenges are open to all readers. In order to participate, simply comment on the challenge post with your response to the exercise. Not only is it good practice, but you could win something nifty and fun!

 

August Prize: A 4-Pack of Brantwijn Serrah "Flirts"

Change of Pace

Phone Home

Eat Dessert First 

And the Breathless Press Bestseller

All Mad Here

 

All Flirts contain 2 coupons for more Breathless Press Titles!

~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~

PLEASE REMEMBER YOU MUST BE SIGNED UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER. OTHERWISE I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO NOTIFY YOU IF YOU WIN!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 And now...

***Here's Today's Challenge!***

Write a sexy scene.

 

55 words long (ouch!)

Must include:

The color navy blue.

The number 9.

A stack of pancakes.

A ship's anchor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hints and Tips:

Wow, only 55 words?  God, I'm a bitch, aren't I?

The point of this exercise is to encourage your creativity to get past restrictions. The word limit will help you focus in on the most important details and images; the required details will stretch your creativity.

You have a very limited amount of space, so combine details. Maybe the pancakes are blue.

Not much to go on to build up sexual tension, so focus in on a specific sensual, erotic detail or act. Might somebody be bound to that ship's anchor while their lover slowly teases them?

Give me your best, darlings!!

Think it can't be done?

Highlight the hidden text below to see my attempt (exactly 55 words).

The water lapped at the side of the boat and Paulo's navy-blue flag flapped in the wind. We'd sailed out before sunrise, dropping anchor when we'd found an empty stretch of open ocean. He'd made a tantalizing pancake breakfast, but all nine flapjacks went to waste as he drizzled syrup onto my bare skin instead.

 

Wednesday Writing Challenge: Who Are You?

Welcome to the Wednesday Writing Challenge! 

It's the Last Wednesday of the Month!

Our final Writing Challenge!

And this one's a toughie...

~~~ 3 Challenge Entries for Participating! ~~~

Every Wednesday, I pose a new writing challenge here on the blog. These challenges come from books on writing, classes I've taken on creative writing, or sometimes just from my own imagination. If you're an author, hopefully they will help you get your writing juices flowing and help you improve your craft.

 

Some of these challenges may be very good ones or may include an element I consider highly important for writers to learn...so occasionally I may cycle through some of my favorites more than once. 

 

??  Want to Participate  ??

The Wednesday Challenges are open to all readers. In order to participate, simply comment on the challenge post with your response to the exercise. Not only is it good practice, but you could win something nifty and fun!

 

August Prize: A Lotus Petals journal

Including a personalized message from Brantwijn Serrah

~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~

PLEASE REMEMBER YOU MUST BE SIGNED UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER. OTHERWISE I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO NOTIFY YOU IF YOU WIN!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 And now...

***Here's Today's Challenge!***

Every character is more than what you can possibly see in the scope of one story, and perhaps even over the scope of a series. Every character has (or should have) inner feelings, motivations, philosophies, values and beliefs that make up their very core.

Today's challenge is this:

 

Choose one of your (existing!) characters. List the following:

1. Name and age.

2. Brief description (hair color, eye color, height)

3.  Astrological Sign and why it is their sign.

4. Political feelings.

5. Religious feelings.

6. Favorite pizza topping.

 

But wait a second, Brantwijn, you say.  A lot of that isn't relevant to my story!

 

Sure it is. It is part of who your character is. Even if it doesn't come up in a written form, you should be able to know your character well enough to know what they'll ask for on a pizza.  Maybe there's something in their attitude that just screams at you that they're a spicy sausage kind of guy, or that she loves pepperoni and pineapple. You should know where they'll fall on a political spectrum and on a religious one (politics and religion can be found in any setting; another part of knowing your character is knowing their background world).

 

Think of it this way: you are sitting down to a nice glass of wine with your character and interviewing them. You're interested in the whole package, not just what comes up in their story. You want to get a good scope of their personal feelings, beliefs and wants.

 

Now, obviously, these things can't be summed up in just six bullet points. This is just a stepping off exercise to get you thinking about the scope of your character's beliefs and experience.

**NOTE**

This is not an exercise in language. You don't have to write a flowing narrative to include all these details. This is an exercise in getting familiar with your character "offstage". You can list responses as bullet points, just like I have, with a brief "why?" to accompany your answers (1 sentence or less).

 

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Hints and Tips:

Astological Sign: You'll probably figure out your character's astrological sign one of two ways. First, you know when their birthday is. No need to delve into how it affects their personality or if they are a fire or air sign; simply, "she was born June 13th". Second, you have an idea for their personality and you find a sign that fits it, such as: "she's passionate and a little stubborn and hot-headed, so she's an Aries".

 

Politics: Every world has politics, but not every political system is going to be divided into the parties and platforms as here on Planet Earth. If your character does not belong in an established modern political system, you'll need to know a little bit about the system he does exist in. You don't have to list a party but give a generic idea of progressive/conservative/liberal/radical/fascist/anarchist, at least. Include a short one-sentence "Why".

 

Religion: Same as above. Even if your character does not belong in a world populated by those religions we know and accept in ours, give an idea of his religious views anyway. Monotheistic, Polytheistic, Pagan, Agnostic, Atheist (please do not choose Atheist to get out of choosing a religion... remember your character needs to have a reason to believe what he does!). Include a short one-sentence explanation.

Give me your best, darlings!!

Wednesday Writing Challenge: Fear Itself

Welcome to the Wednesday Writing Challenge!

Every Wednesday, I pose a new writing challenge here on the blog. These challenges come from books on writing, classes I've taken on creative writing, or sometimes just from my own imagination. If you're an author, hopefully they will help you get your writing juices flowing and help you improve your craft.

 

Some of these challenges may be very good ones or may include an element I consider highly important for writers to learn...so occasionally I may cycle through some of my favorites more than once. 

 

??  Want to Participate  ??

The Wednesday Challenges are open to all readers. In order to participate, simply comment on the challenge post with your response to the exercise. Not only is it good practice, but you could win something nifty and fun!

 

August Prize: A Lotus Petals journal

Including a personalized message from Brantwijn Serrah

~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 And now...

***Here's Today's Challenge!***

Select a Phobia from this Wikipedia List of Phobias

 You are a character with this phobia. In 5 sentences or less, describe a close-up confrontation with the object of your fear.

You may not use arachnophobia, claustrophobia, aquaphobia, agoraphobia, acrophobia, coulrophobia or glossophobia.

 If a previous poster has already used a certain fear, you must choose a different one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hints and Tips:

Consider the physical effects of fear and try to avoid overused descriptions (clammy hands, racing heart). Look for new ways to describe the sensation of fear.

Don't focus only on the fear; consider your mental reaction as well. Are you confronting your fear to try and cope with it? Have you been unexpectedly surprised by your fear, and now considering escape? Did you know you had this phobia or are you confused to be feeling this fear?

Don't forget to include a description of the object causing your fear.

Give me your best, darlings!!

Wednesday Writing Challenge: Blood on the Floor

Welcome to the Wednesday Writing Challenge!

Every Wednesday, I pose a new writing challenge here on the blog. These challenges come from books on writing, classes I've taken on creative writing, or sometimes just from my own imagination. If you're an author, hopefully they will help you get your writing juices flowing and help you improve your craft.

 

Some of these challenges may be very good ones or may include an element I consider highly important for writers to learn...so occasionally I may cycle through some of my favorites more than once. 

 

??  Want to Participate  ??

The Wednesday Challenges are open to all readers. In order to participate, simply comment on the challenge post with your response to the exercise. Not only is it good practice, but you could win something nifty and fun!

 

August Prize: A Lotus Petals journal

Including a personalized message from Brantwijn Serrah

~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 And now...

***Here's Today's Challenge!***

New Week, New Creative Writing Challenge: Straight from the Headlines!

Hello, My Lovelies!

I do so love sharing these writing challenges with you. I love to read the responses you share back! Today I'm going to pose a variant of one I was given in one of my own creative writing courses: "Straight From the Headlines".

Watch out, darlings... this one's a bit of a tough one!

For this exercise I've chosen the following five headlines:

• Runway for Scholars fashion show set for Sunday

• Everybody from Aristotle to Disney gets hyenas wrong

• Proposed initiative could ban all marijuana use in Montana

• Leopard strays into Ballarpur, injurs three

• Navy shifts watches to aid sleep on subs

 

 Your challenge is to pick one of these and write a sexy flash about it. The headline is your jumping off point--no need to go look up the real news post and pull true facts. For example, the first headline might inspire you to write a quick, sexy scene set backstage of the fashion show.

 

I think that's fairly self-explanatory? You can post your response in the comments or link to your own Facebook or blog to show me what you've got! 

Just like last time, if we get ten or more entries, I'll choose the most creative one and give them a free prize! I've still got a few sexy e-books to give away and they're sitting all lonely in my virtual bookshelf, looking for a home!

 

And just a quick reminder!

Goblin Fires releases next Friday!