Today, surf on over to fic_simplicity for a new prompt: candy woes. It’s the perfect Halloween-day prompt! From that page:

You can take it however you like to, really. Not enough candy? Too much candy? It’s all dependent on your creativity, and how your characters feel about candy in general. There’s a lot of wiggle room with this one, really, so don’t be afraid to tax your brains and come up with something a little different!

You can also go farther-afield than that, of course. How else might candy cause or relate to your woes? I can think of some strange, odd, and humorous possibilities for this one. Has candy somehow managed to cause a household disaster of epic proportions? Did candy kill your best friend? What’s your worst memory related to eating candy? What’s the worst thing you ever ate that you were told was candy?

Technorati Tags: free-writing, Halloween, journaling, prompts, write, writers, writing

World-building fascinates me, because it applies to so many aspects of writing. It’s a fairly specific term applied to the creation of a fictional world for genre fiction or roleplaying (fantasy worlds, etc.), but it also has a wider application than that. Any time you write fiction (and some sorts of non-fiction) you participate in world-building. Your job is to build a representation of the world (whether this one, a variant of this one, or another entirely) that captures the reader’s imagination and seems “real” to her.

There are so many exercises you can perform to help you imagine and create this kind of vivid, real world that aids the reader’s willing suspension of disbelief. Some of my favorites, however, involve photographs and other forms of art. I associate photographs with world-building because they make us look at physical details. They often focus on very mundane things but allow you to see the beautiful details of those mundane things–which is exactly what you need to do when building a world with words.

Today, take a look at this lovely “top of the world” photograph with its snowy heights, precise trees, and shining clouds. Imagine that this is a location in your fictional story-world, either near or far, and imagine what it might have to do with your tale. Is it a place your main character visited once as a child? Is it a place she dreams of visiting as an adult? Is it a beautiful-yet-treacherous passage your heroes must traverse to reach their destination? Describe this place using every sense, imagining the chill of the wind, the glare of sunlight, each sound and sense in its place. What do you hear? What do you feel? How does the air taste and smell?

Technorati Tags: free-writing, journaling, photo.net, photographs, prompts, write, writers, writing

When you’re world-building, it’s easy to forget about the seemingly inconsequential details–the blades of grass, the wisps of cloud, the moths. Most of these details may never see the light of day in your manuscript, but they help to bring your world alive–both for you and your readers. Spend a page at the micro-level of your world. Look at the ground, the trees, the blades of grass, the bugs. Detail them and let them speak to you. Click through the image above for a wealth of beautiful insect pictures to inspire you, if you need it.

Technorati Tags: free-writing, journaling, photo.net, photographs, prompts, insects, world building, write, writers, writing

What if… your characters found themselves stranded in a terrifyingly beautiful lightning storm? How did this happen? What happens next? How will this change your characters? What secret is hidden by the storm? Where were they trying to go when they got waylaid by the storm? What will happen when they fail to arrive on time at their destination?

Pope - Art Not Chance Dark T-Shirt

Technorati Tags: fiction, free-writing, journaling, photographs, prompts, what if, write, writers, writing

Artwork can be so inspiring when it comes time to write. Portrait photographs can serve up whole new characters. Landscapes and buildings can inspire settings. Even abstract art has its place, however; there are many things you can do with it:

• Free associate in whatever direction it leads you

• Explore the emotions it evokes in you through journaling
• Use it as inspiration for something magical/fantastical or science fiction in nature.

Thanks to StumbleUpon (to which I’ve become addicted of late) I discovered a gorgeous page of fractal art–colorful, elaborate, inspiring:

Click through on the image above to visit the gallery in its entirety, and choose an image to work with for your exercise today.

Technorati Tags: art, free-writing, journaling, prompts, write, writers, writing

Today, take a look at these quotes about anger (found via iconinspiration). Read through all of them and pick one that appeals to you, whether it’s one you agree with, disagree with, or haven’t really thought about before now. Set a timer for ten minutes and free-write about that quote’s take on anger and how it relates to your life. If you’re a fiction-writer, consider doing this for one of your characters, perhaps choosing the quote that best embodies that character’s take on anger.

Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.
~Ambrose Bierce

Technorati Tags: free-writing, journaling, prompts, anger, quotations, quotes, write, writers, writing

Today, tell this woman’s story, in any form you wish. (If the photo is no longer there when you click through at some point, surf photo.net for any other intriguing portrait that catches your eye.) Absorb the image for a little while first–every nuance of expression (eyes, mouth, tilt of head), hair style, clothing. Imagine what she’s looking at and what she’s thinking.

Need coffee. Have deadline. Must write.
Mugs, shirts, more!

Technorati Tags: journaling, photo.net, photographs, prompts, write, writers, writing

I was asked to pass on the following announcement. As always, try to check out the reputations of the contests you enter–I can’t guarantee the legitimacy of any given contest. Also, be sure to follow any guidelines as closely as possible!

The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is open to everyone whether experienced or not. This competition is open to all and anyone who loves to arrange words into beautiful art or to write a short story that is worth telling everyone. And to all who have the ability to dream. Write your best short story or poem for a chance to win cash prizes. All works must be original.

Guidelines:
(1) Write a poem, thirty lines or fewer on any subject or style or form, single or double line spacing, neatly hand printed or typed.
Or
(2) Write a short story five pages maximum, single or double line spacing, on any subject or theme, creative writing, fiction or non-fiction (including essay compositions, diary, journal entries and screenwriting). Must also be neatly hand printed or typed.

Multiple poem and story entries are accepted.

Deadline: January 15, 2007.
Winners will be announced on February 15, 2007.

Prizes:
Writing Contest First Prize is $500. Second Prize is $250. Third Prize $100.

Poetry Contest First Prize is $250. Second Prize is $125. Third Prize is $50.

Entry fees:
Writing Contest entry fee is: $10 per short story.

Poetry Contest entry fee is: $5 per poem.

To send entries by mail: Include title and story or poem, your name, address, phone#, email, brief biographical info. (Tell us a little about yourself) on the coversheet, add a self-addressed stamped envelope for entry confirmation. Mail entries/fees payable to: Dreamquestone.com.

Dream Quest One
Poetry & Writing Contest
P.O. Box 3141
Chicago, IL 60654

Visit http://www.dreamquestone.com for further details, to print out an entry form or to enter online.

Technorati Tags: write, writers, writing, writing competition, writing contest

From the Writer’s Digest website:

The Writer’s Digest 7th Annual Short Short Story Competition

We’re looking for fiction that’s bold, brilliant…but brief. Send us your best in 1,500 words or fewer.
But don’t be too long about it—the deadline is Friday, December 01, 2006.

PRIZES
First Place: $3,000
Second Place: $1,500
Third Place: $500
Fourth Through Tenth Place: $100
Eleventh Through Twenty-Fifth Place: $50 gift certificate for Writer’s Digest Books

For more details check out the WD website and remember–that deadline is December 1, 2006!

Come to think of it, for today’s exercise, grab any other exercise from this blog that gives you ideas and use it as the inspiration for a 1500-word-or-less story. Then edit, revise, rewrite–and submit! If you win, come back and let me know so I can cheer you on!

Technorati Tags: fiction, writing contest, Writer’s Digest, writing competition

In “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Erotic Romance”, author Alison Kent says:

One of the best tips I ever received for writing believable and compelling internal motivation was to ask a character “Why?” He has to give his answer in a “Because…” response, and I then follow that up with another “Why?” We keep doing this until he can’t give me anything but a simple “Because. Just because.”–no more than that. Doing this causes the character (and me) to dig to the root of what drives him…

Today, pick one of your fictional characters and one of his goals and ask him: “Why?” Don’t let him go until you get the answer you want. If you prefer journaling to fiction-writing, pick one of your own goals in life and ask yourself the same question!

Technorati Tags: characterization, characters, free-writing, journaling, prompts, write, writers, writing