The Writer's Scrapbook

Characters are, of course, the heart of any story.  It’s truly important to spend time cultivating them and making them into something bigger than just words on paper.  Make them come to life!  The only way you can do that is by truly getting to know them.

When you’re creating a character, consider this:  How would this person treat a server at a restaurant?  Write a scene in which they act out exactly how they’d treat a server so that you can start to see them come to life.

Today’s exercise requires you to think of time differently.  For example, what if you were able to witness something that typically happens very quickly (say, a NASCAR race, for instance) at a very slow speed.  I’m not talking slow motion (although that works too), but perhaps the cars just drive at 15 miles per hour.

Write up a scenario where time is different than it normally would be.  Maybe something slow moves very quickly?  It’s up to you!

What’s up, peeps!  Sorry for the long absence.  Glad to see ya’ll are still hanging in there.

Tonight’s writing exercise:  think of four things that you’d rather be doing right now.  Take one of your favorite characters (one you’ve made up or one from any book, movie, etc that you like.  Write a scene for each of those things with that character.

Enjoy!

Howdy,

Had a close friend pass away, and I’ll be with friends and attending the funeral.  I’ll be back as soon as I can.  Please hang in there with me.

Thanks!

At one point or another, most of us have wished a movie, book, or tv show had ended differently.  Well, now’s your chance to make that happen!  Pick your favorite movie, book, or tv show, and write up an alternate ending for it!

Ready?  Set?  GO!

Happy Saturday, everyone!

I’m off to a wedding, so I need to make this quick.  Today’s exercise is called “Casting Call” and is designed to make you think differently about your characters.  Here’s what you need to do.

Think of three people you know.  They could be people at work, at church (if you go), at school, at home, or anywhere else.  For each person, isolate one personality trait they have and create a character based on them by blowing that personality trait out of proportion.

For example, I used to have a teacher way back in high school who used to pace the halls during lunch,  but she would always, always, always be looking down at her feet as she walked.  So, and for other reasons, my friend Jason and I developed a fictional character who taught high school English classes and was known as “The Bird Lady.”   Part of The Bird Lady’s charm was her never-ending quest to find worms on tile floors.

Yeah, it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense to you because it’s an inside joke kind of thing, but that’s the type of character I am challenging you to build based on someone you know.

Maybe you know someone who is a feminist.  Cast her as an angry feminist.  It’s cliche, but it works.  Maybe you know someone who’s just so quirky that it’s likely they’re drunk all the time.  Make it so!

Have fun with it!

  You may (or may not) recognize this gentlemen as Hugh Laurie who plays Dr. Gregory House on the television show “House.”

In the picture to the left, he’s been combined with two other characters - Venom of Spiderman fame and the evil clown from Stephen King’s “It.”  Scary, but cool!

One of the most interesting ways to get the creative juices flowing is to write fan fiction.  Fan fiction is a story or other work based on characters already created by someone else.  For instance, one might write an entire adventure using the characters from “The Simpsons” that hasn’t happened but is something, perhaps, the fan would like to see happen.

Your challenge today:  pick a favorite book, movie, or television show and write up a scene or two (or three!) involving the characters in it.  Have fun with it!

Sometimes the most profound writings are the most simple.  One doesn’t need flowery language or 18 paragraphs describing a single hill (sorry, Mr. Fenimore Cooper) to be an amazing writer.  That’s where we begin for today’s exercise.  One word.

Pick one word from anywhere you choose.  You could open a book to a random page, you could choose the first word that pops into your head, or you could ask someone else to give you a word.  It helps if that word happens to be a noun, but it’s not impossible otherwise.

Next, describe that word with one word.  Then describe those two words with one word.  Keep going until you run out of words or get bored. lol  The idea is to simply free associate the words that come to mind.  Writing is about flow, and this helps break loose the logs that might be jamming up your “river.”

Ready?  Go!

Lots of new followers today!  Very nice!  Welcome to everyone who’s new to this lil writing blog o’ fun.  Hope you enjoy!