Your character (or characters) stumbles upon a mouse in their home, write a short story that shows their reaction to the tiny creature and then detail what happens next, e.g., do they try to kill it, save it, befriend, and so on. [Writing prompt inspired by my own ordeal…]
Tag Archives: writing
Character Series: Clothes make the man or woman
Clothes say a lot about a person, and it should be no different with characters. Albeit writers need to beware of info-dropping about clothing, or setting a character in front of a mirror just for said-character or narrator to go over ever inch of their appearance. However, little bits of description here and there aboutContinue reading “Character Series: Clothes make the man or woman”
Not All Animals Act Like Dogs
I cannot believe how many writers tend to give animals, largely horses, dog-like traits. Disney/Pixar is especially guilty of this — I could not help but groan that the horse in Tangled behaved so doggish, despite the fact that I knew it was done for humor. It is understandable why some writers have the animalsContinue reading “Not All Animals Act Like Dogs”
Pope resignation equals writer opportunity
As soon as the news broke that Pope Benedict XVI was resigning, the cogs in my head started to turn — the cogs that drive the writer and world-builder in me. I could not help but think what a perfect opportunity it is to observe, learn and possibly borrow and tweak practices to be usedContinue reading “Pope resignation equals writer opportunity”
What I didn’t expect when I applied to the local paper
I had never really wanted to get into journalism — no, I had grandiose dreams of entering the publishing industry, where I would work my way up. However, once graduation came, reality hit. The industry was changing and there was a recession, which was changing everything. Jobs were scare and openings required experience — somethingContinue reading “What I didn’t expect when I applied to the local paper”
World-building Series: Culture
While this may seem like putting the cart before the horse, when world-building, writers need to consider what their world’s cultures will look and feel like. This is a step some writers never fully realize, making their worlds feel like cardboard or a carbon copy of another world, built by another writer: Let’s face it,Continue reading “World-building Series: Culture”
!#$* $#*!: Writing expletives
Expletives, aka. profanity, can spice up dialogue; however, like all spices, you have to put in the right amount. Treated properly, profanity brings out a character or situation. Poured in, they only make the reader roll their eyes and groan. This topic comes about after I was sitting at an eatery and these teenage girlsContinue reading “!#$* $#*!: Writing expletives”
Character Series: Intro, plus family
Well, here is the start of another series that will at least run every Friday during February and then periodically the rest of the year: The Character Series. This series will look at the different touches that make a character feel real and gives them depth. Intro A couple years back, I recall a majorContinue reading “Character Series: Intro, plus family”
Thesaurus abuse
Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I don’t know the ten-dollar words. I know them all right. But there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use. Ernest Hemingway has a point often times an one-dollar word works far better thanContinue reading “Thesaurus abuse”
My personal seven deadly writing sins
We all have them — and if you claim not to, you are lying — namely, writing sins. They are things you do that you know you shouldn’t do. Some writers might might actually have more than seven writing sins, but lets face it, seven is much more manageable — plus, there is the wholeContinue reading “My personal seven deadly writing sins”
Blood & Ink 