Physical gestures do more than enhance dialogue . . . Writing dialogue usually includes physical gestures— those things we do when we talk. You don’t have to be exceptionally creative to write realistic action while your characters are dialoguing. Just write whatever it is they are doing: fingers drumming, shoulders twitching, cell phone glancing, eyes wandering, forehead scratching. So much nonverbal communication going on. Just don’t be boring about it . . . no fingers twirling hair, no lip biting. Like clichés, these are over-used physical gestures. Here’s what Steven James says in the January 2016 issue of the Writer’s Digest magazine, “If you find your character brushing his nose or repositioning his chair or crossing legs and so forth for no other reason than to provide a respite from the dialogue, recast the scene. Just as dialogue should reveal the intention of the characters so should the actions that…
Category: Prompts
Rewrite Your Holiday Scene . . . Prompt #210
‘Twas the night before the party and all through the house, everyone was hurrying with too much to do, even the mouse! Sound familiar? I was frustrated with too much scurrying before I learned strategies about how to manage holiday stress. As I gathered ideas, I felt calm and at peace. Let’s create an enjoyable holiday season. It does involve list making. So get some paper and a pen. These lists will help you focus on making your holidays less stressful and more enjoyable. The six key steps to reduce holiday stress are inventory, decide, accept, choose favorites, enlist and manage. Take inventory. Make a list of all the extra activities you do during the holidays. Be sure to include baking, making crafts, decorating, cleaning, helping at church, attending parties, shopping, wrapping, making travel plans, driving around to see decorations and meeting guests at the airport. Next: Go through your…
What hurts right now? Prompt #209
You! Yes, you. What hurts right now? Write about that. Or write about what is hurting your fictional character. Writing Prompt: What hurts right now?
Deep but not profound . . . Prompt #208
The name of the game is: Deep but not profound. Apples but not bananas Boots but not shoes Carrots but not potatoes Door but not window Eggs but not chickens Have you figured out the formula? Here’s a clue: Look at the letters in the first words of each line above. More clues: Sleepy but not tired Sleep but not slumber Greet and hello and goodbye but neither here nor there. Solution to this riddle: The first word has double consonants or double vowels. The rest of the words don’t matter. Two more: Matter but not material Correct but not right I’m becoming addicted. . . Hope you have fun with this little brain teaser! What lines can you come up with? Writing Prompt: Choose a line or a photo and write.
Tradition . . . Prompt #207
~Tradition~ Quick! What’s the first thing you think when you see the word “tradition?” Write about that. OR: Write about a tradition from your childhood. Write about a tradition you gave up. Write about a tradition you enjoy. Ready? Set your time and write for 15-20 minutes. Just write!
Use photos to inspire your writing. Prompt #206
You can use photos as writing prompts. Choose one of your photos, or a photo you remember and write about it. First, look at the photo (if you can). Write all the details that you see. Write about what happened before and after the photo was taken. Write about your feelings connected with this photo. Photos might remind you about activities, important occasions and details that you may have forgotten. Did Great-grandpa always wear a hat? What was his first car? Where did he work? Siblings. What did Grandma think as her son went off to war? What did his sisters think? Did they send him off with special remembrances from home? Did they listen to every radio broadcast about the war? Did they watch events play out on television? Are there any letters from that era? Grandma’s graduation day photo doesn’t look like today’s graduation photos. What were Grandma’s plans…
Something good that came from . . . Prompt #205
Today’s writing prompt: Something good that came from something bad. Set your timer for 15-20 minutes. Write. Don’t think. Just write. Okay, you might have to think a little before writing on this prompt. Once you choose a topic. . . then . . . write without thinking. No editing, no censoring. You can destroy your writing later, if you want. For now . . . just write.
Alarm . . . Prompt #204
Today’s writing prompt: Alarm
What challenged you as a . . . Prompt #203
Today’s writing prompt: What challenged you as a fifteen-year-old? When the prompt is a number or an age, you can adjust to whatever calls to you. For example, with this prompt you can write about what was challenging when you were thirteen, or fourteen, or sixteen. The exact age doesn’t matter. I chose fifteen because that is a pivotal year for some people. Marlene, Tonga Room, Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, Junior Prom, 1965.
How to be a better writer
Many of us want to learn how to be better writers. The answer is very simple: WRITE. Write some more. Keep writing. It’s true! The more you write, the better writer you will become. Here are some things you can do to improve your writing. READ. Read whatever you like to read. Read the genre you are writing in. Read other genres. BE SPECIFIC. ’57 Bel Air Chevy, not car. Sycamore, not tree. Foxtrot, not dance. USE STRONG VERBS. Keep a list of strong verbs in your writer’s toolbox for easy reference. Resources for strong verbs Thesaurus in any format: Paper, on your computer, internet. Books: Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch: Let Verbs Power Your Writing by Constance Hale. Strong Verbs Strong Voice by Ann Everett Websites: Tip Sheet Using Strong Verbs and Writing Tips: Use Active, Precise Verbs WRITING MAGAZINES often have article to improve writing: Writer’s Digest, The Writer,…