In this new series, Operation Awesome is providing exercises to help you break out of writer's block, or a creative slump. Too often, we get stuck with writer's block because we believe when the words don't flow organically, or when the sentences don't come out perfectly structured, or when the plot has holes, we've failed. Usually, it just means you're having an off day, and forcing yourself to write on these days can perpetuate the feeling of being stuck. It can really help to take a day off from writing, but that doesn't mean taking a day off from working on your book. These exercises will help you work on your book when you're not actually writing.
So, none of our exercises involve narrative writing, per se. Instead, they require you to think, daydream, talk to your characters, and CREATE. You can jot down notes as you go, or you can record yourself talking through the exercises, or you can keep everything in your head.
For Exercise #4, we're going to focus on CHARACTER DESIRE. If you read writer's craft books, websites, or blog posts, you'll hear the same question over and over: What does your main character want? It's the vital backbone of your story, because readers relate and commiserate with characters who deeply want something, and have to overcome obstacles to get what they want. The desire can be anything from a love interest to saving the world to winning a sewing bee. But your main character (and your antagonist) must want something, or that want must propel them into action.
Use a paper and pen, or a computer, and make a list of everything your main character wants. This should definitely include the want that makes up the main plot of the book (for example, in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy wants to go home). Then, take some time and brainstorm everything else your main character wants. Again, using The Wizard of Oz as an example, Dorothy's 'wish list' might look like this:
1) To go home
2) To defeat the Wicked Witch of the West
3) To bring the witch's broom to the Wizard
4) To protect Toto
5) To protect my other friends
6) To help my friends achieve their own desires (a brain, a heart, courage)
7) To avoid being kidnapped by the flying monkeys
8) To figure out a way out of the sealed room before the witch kills me
9) To not get blisters from walking miles in the ruby slippers (just kidding)
10) Others?
You can see that for a well-drawn character in a well-constructed narrative, the main character has many desires. It makes them more interesting and relatable to the reader, and makes it more understandable when they take action.
Once you've finished brainstorming your main character's wish list, turn to your antagonist and do the same. Does your antagonist want something deeper than to beat the hero? Dive into your antagonist's back story and see what you can come up with.
Did you run into any surprises while brainstorming your main character's and antagonist's wish lists?
In this new series, Operation Awesome is providing exercises to help you break out of writer's block, or a creative slump. Too often, we get stuck with writer's block because we believe when the words don't flow organically, or when the sentences don't come out perfectly structured, or when the plot has holes, we've failed. Usually, it just means you're having an off day, and forcing yourself to write on these days can perpetuate the feeling of being stuck. It can really help to take a day off from writing, but that doesn't mean taking a day off from working on your book. These exercises will help you work on your book when you're not actually writing.
So, none of our exercises involve narrative writing, per se. Instead, they require you to think, daydream, talk to your characters, and CREATE. You can jot down notes as you go, or you can record yourself talking through the exercises, or you can keep everything in your head.
For Exercise #3, we're going to focus on FAVORITE SCENES. You know how there are certain scenes in books and movies that you read/watch over and over? They're so beautifully portrayed, or tons of fun, or they evoke an emotional response, or all of the above. Creating great scenes that keep readers turning the pages is a big part of writing, one that can take years to perfect.
But The Writers' Block isn't about craft - it's about brainstorming. So take paper and a pen, or your computer, set a timer for 20-30 minutes, and brainstorm at least ten scenes you want to see in your book. You can use a basic outline you might already have for your novel, or you can start from scratch. The main rule for this exercise is to brainstorm big, colorful, significant scenes. Nothing is off-limits here... do you want to send your main character to the circus? Into outer space, even though it's a contemporary romance? Do you want a scene where your characters get locked in a mall? Go crazy, knowing that all these scenes might not make it into the book.
Once you have your list of scenes, and you've eliminated the ones that you might write for fun, but might not end up in your book, put them in the order that makes the most sense. That might be chronological, or if you're planning a non-linear narrative, it might be the order that makes the most sense for character development.
Then, start thinking about how to flesh out the details between the ordered scenes. You'll likely need some transitions, some additional scenes, and to explore how your characters are getting from Point A to Point B.
Then, when you're ready, pick a scene, either starting from the beginning or choosing the one that seems the most fun, and start writing! The scene list is a great way to structure a brand-new story idea, but it can also help kick-start a project that has stalled.
Did you enjoy creating a scene list? What scenes did you add to your list from this brainstorming session that you might have never considered before?
In this new series, Operation Awesome is providing exercises to help you break out of writer's block, or a creative slump. Too often, we get stuck with writer's block because we believe when the words don't flow organically, or when the sentences don't come out perfectly structured, or when the plot has holes, we've failed. Usually, it just means you're having an off day, and forcing yourself to write on these days can perpetuate the feeling of being stuck. It can really help to take a day off from writing, but that doesn't mean taking a day off from working on your book. These exercises will help you work on your book when you're not actually writing.
So, none of our exercises involve narrative writing, per se. Instead, they require you to think, daydream, talk to your characters, and CREATE. You can jot down notes as you go, or you can record yourself talking through the exercises, or you can keep everything in your head.
For Exercise #2, we're going to focus on CHARACTERS. Specifically, getting to know your main character, the antagonist, the love interest, and any secondary characters you want, by using a Character Questionnaire. Examples of these questionnaires abound online, but you can keep this simple and see where your creativity goes with it. You won't use the bulk of the answers directly in your story itself, but knowing your characters well makes it easier to build fully-fleshed out people.
First, pick a character you want to get to know better. Use a notebook, think through the answers in your head, or talk to your character out loud (probably don't do the latter option in a public place). Ask your character the following questions, and see how much better you can get to know them!
1) Full name (including middle name, maiden name, aliases, etc.) Have you looked up the meaning of your character's name? This can also help inform personality traits.
2) Birthday. Have you looked up the astrological meaning of your character's birthday? This can also be an interesting way to add personality and life events.
3) Where has your character lived? One place? Many places? If many, why did they move? How did your character react to moving?
4) Family/upbringing: Two parents? One? None? Siblings? Other relatives that lived in the house when your character was a child? Pets? How did everyone get along? Were they rich/poor/in-between? Were the parents strict, easygoing, loving, neglectful?
5) School: What level of education did you character achieve? Were they an attentive student? Did they enjoy studying or hate it? What were their favorite subjects? Extracurricular activities? Did they have a lot of friends or were they a loner? What significant events happened during your character's school years?
6) Friends: Who were your character's friends as a child? Are they still friends? If not, why not?
7) Love interests: Did you character have relationships as a teenager? What happened to them? What is your character's current relationship status? Ever been divorced? Ever had their heart broken? Ever broken someone else's heart?
8) Travel: Did your character get to go to many different places? If so, why (business trips, vacations, moving, etc.)? If not, why not (money, etc.)?
9) Careers: What kinds of work has your character done? Are they lucrative? Did they enjoy them? Are they respected at their job? Did anything significant happen at these jobs?
10) Fears: What does your character most fear? Have they told anyone? What does this fear stem from? Does the fear impact how they live their life?
11) Hopes: What does your character want out of life? Have they told anyone? What are they doing to accomplish these things?
12) Physical appearance: What does your character look like? Hair color, eye color, skin tone, height, build, and also things like notable scars, tattoos, piercings, etc. Are they athletic? Clumsy? Graceful? Do you picture a celebrity or someone you know when you picture your character?
13) Voice: What does your character sound like? Do they have any notable auditory characteristics, like a barking laugh or a beautiful singing voice?
14) Social: Is your character an introvert, and extravert, or somewhere in between? How do they react in social situations? Would they rather go to parties or read at home?
15) Children: Does your character have children? Want children? Hate children?
16) Hobbies: What does your character like to do when not working?
17) Food and Drink: What are your character's favorite foods and drinks? Least favorite? Are there any memories attached to these preferences?
18) Music, movies, TV shows: What are your character's preferences for entertainment?
That's enough to start with. Have fun interviewing your character and try to apply what you've learned about them to their story!
In this new series, Operation Awesome is providing exercises to help you break out of writer's block, or a creative slump. Too often, we get stuck with writer's block because we believe when the words don't flow organically, or when the sentences don't come out perfectly structured, or when the plot has holes, we've failed. Usually, it just means you're having an off day, and forcing yourself to write on these days can perpetuate the feeling of being stuck. It can really help to take a day off from writing, but that doesn't mean taking a day off from working on your book. These exercises will help you work on your book when you're not actually writing.
So, none of our exercises involve narrative writing, per se. Instead, they require you to think, daydream, talk to your characters, and CREATE. You can jot down notes as you go, or you can record yourself talking through the exercises, or you can keep everything in your head.
For Exercise #1, we're going to focus on SETTING. A great setting engages all the readers' senses, and more. It's of course important to create a rich visual setting, but don't forget all the other senses while you're at it. And go the next step: think about the emotional (and sometimes even physical) impact the setting has on your characters.
Close your eyes, or go into a dark, quiet room, and put yourself into the setting of your story world, or any given scene from your novel. Can you describe your story world in terms of all five senses, along with the emotional impact on your characters?
VISION: What colors permeate your world? What objects are situated around the landscape? Are you outdoors or indoors? Are there natural or manmade structures? Are there plants, animals, other people? What do the other people look like? What kinds of clothes do they wear? Does your main character find the land beautiful, the people attractive, or the opposite?
HEARING: Setting aside the characters' voices, what other sounds exist in your world? Birds chirping, leaves fluttering, typewriters clacking, bedsheets rustling, TVs droning, machines whirring? Sometimes, authors get so caught up with visual description, they neglect to show the auditory richness of their story. Close your eyes and listen to your world.
TOUCH: Is the setting cold, hot, rainy, snowy, or a combination? Is the air thick with humidity, or does the wind move your characters' hair? If your character runs her fingers through the grass, are the blades stiff, pliant, wet, or sticky? When your character kisses his love interest for the first time, do their lips feel soft, slick, chapped, or dry? We are incredibly tactile creatures, so don't forget to take advantage of that when imagining your world.
SMELL: Odors can be very powerful, both the delicious ones and the disgusting ones. Bread baking, freshly-mown grass, and burning incense can all evoke positive thoughts and emotions. Smells like garbage, dead animals, and spoiled milk can all do the opposite. Play with what your world smells like.
TASTE: This is probably the least utilized sense in writing, but it can work for you. When your character bites into a steak, how is that taste different from biting into a chocolate bar? What about your character tasting her first-ever alcoholic drink - remember what that tasted like? What about a vile, disgusting taste - spoiled food, or something like Marmite that many people don't enjoy?
EMOTION: Does the setting evoke memories? Sense memories (such as hearing an old song, smelling bread baking, etc.) can be powerfully evocative. Does some aspect of the setting evoke strong emotions in your characters, whether it's anger, sadness, happiness, etc.? Does it drive them to action?
How'd it go? Were you able to better actualize your story setting?
