Prompts

Metaphors and Hyperbole . . . Prompt #853

Prompt One Make a list of things that surprised or astonished you or made you feel uncomfortable. Something from a long time ago or recently. Just a list for now. Prompt Two Using your list, make a list of emotions you felt either during what you experienced or emotions you felt today or are feeling right now. For example: Fear, anger, surprise, annoyance, joy, angst, acceptance Prompt Three A metaphor compares two unlike things to show a relationship without using “like” or “as.” Metaphors imply that one thing is another. Examples of metaphors: Chaos is a friend of mine. —Bob Dylan You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog, cryin’ all the time. —Elvis Presley Darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream. —Taylor Swift My heart, a church where no one prays. Lonely pews and smudged stained glass. The Forever Workshop Writing Prompt: Choose an emotion from your list. Write what happened that caused…

Just Write

Create Characters That Feel Like Real People

Sophie Campbell hands us the key to unlock the dilemma of when to “show” and when to “tell.” “In creative writing, we’re often told to show, not tell. It’s practically gospel. In essence, it means show us how a character is feeling, don’t tell us. For example, ‘Jane felt a bubble rise in her throat and her chest heaved as she sobbed,’ is more powerful than simply, ‘Jane was sad and she cried.’ But the truth is, the most compelling fiction does both showing and telling, and the best copywriting does too. The key isn’t choosing one over the other, it’s knowing when and how to use each of them to create characters that feel like real people and a voice that readers will remember.” Excerpted from The Forever Workshop, Use This Copywriting “Golden Rule” In Your Fiction, Poetry & Essays, Lesson 3 of “Steal From a Copywriter: Copy Techniques That Translate Into Creative Writing.”…