Write a story based on the picture below. This is a really great picture so be sure to use your imagination, let it run wild!
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Writing Exercise…
Write a story based on the image below:
- How did these people get here? Plane crash? Climbing expedition?
- Are they waiting to be rescued? How long have they been waiting?
- Is there hope in sight/do they get rescued? Are these people going to have to result to cannibalism?
- How will they preserve themselves/survive? What supplies do they have? Do they have any supplies?
Enjoy this, it should be a really fun exercise that pushes your imagination to the limit!
Bonus Exercise…What if…
I was inspired on my run this morning by something I saw so I’ve decided to throw down another writing exercise for everybody.
Imagine that you are running on a trail and you come across a box. The box says Do Not Open…what do you do? Write a short story on this and make sure you answer the following questions:
- What does the box look like? Describe the features and describe how old you think it is? What is the box made of? How big or small is it?
- Where were you when you found it? Describe the weather and setting
- Did you open the box? If yes, what was inside? If no, why not?
- What did you do after you opened or didn’t open the box?
- Does the box contain magical powers? Does it contain something valuable? Is it empty?
- Where do you think the box came from?
- How did the box end up on the running trail?
Lots of good ideas here to get started on your story!
Writing Exercise…Escape from a murderer
Today’s exercise is all about murder. I know, it’s not a very flowery, fun topic but I can guarantee that it will make you think outside of the box. I want you to write a short piece about your escape from a murderer…be sure to include:
- Where you are being held
- How you got there
- Describe what is around you, sights, smells, sounds
- Describe the murderer, what do they look like, smell like, sound like
- Describe how you feel
- Describe how you are going to escape
- Describe the escape
- Are there any other people, is anyone with you
- Do you escape or are you recaptured
- Is the killer caught or still at large after your escape
Good luck with this and have fun! Use your imagination and write something inspiring!
It’s All About Point of View…
Let’s talk about point of view for this writing exercise, but first things first-what exactly is Point of View?
Point of view refers to the way the author allows you to see and hear what’s going on it the novel, book, short story or manuscript. We’ll focus on four main points of view:
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- First-person point of view is in use when a character narrates the story with I-me-my-mine. The reader is sitting beside the character and is viewing the world through the eyes of that character. The reader experiences the world through the eyes of only one person.
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- Second-person point of view, the author uses your and you, this is rare; authors rarely speak directly to the reader. If you do happen to come across this point of view, you should pay attention because the author is trying to tell you something. Second-person point of view draws the reader into the story, and makes the reader participate in the action.
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- Third-person point of view is that of an outsider looking at the action. This is the most common point of view. The author’s voice, not the character’s voice, is what you hear in the descriptive passages.
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- Objective-point of view is when the narrator is a fly on the wall or a video camera in the corner of the room. The character’s thoughts are never known. Objective point of view is all about watching, listening and observing.
Try writing from a different point of view and step outside of your comfort zone. This allows you to stretch your abilities and who knows, you may actually really like a particular point of view that you had never considered before. Happy Writing!
Writing Prompt…
Sometimes it’s fun to think out of the box. For today’s writing prompt we’ll explore writing for a different genre: mid grade. Use the prompt and the image below to write a short, action packed story. Have fun and be fearless!
Joey stood at the bottom of the tree house, his head turned frantically. His best friend Kyle Mitchell was late again. The air was thick with afternoon heat and the humidity was over a hundred. Joey heard the buzzing of mosquitoes and slapped his arm when one landed; a sticky mess of insect guts mixed with blood smeared his arm. He heard branches crack in the distance and quickly hid behind a large bush. Based on the circumstances, and what the boys had found, it was a wise move for him to hide; he crouched close to the ground and held his breath, he could only see part of a shoe but wasn’t sure it was Kyle’s.
Writing Exercise…
Do you believe in angels? Do you think that such heavenly beings exist or are your beliefs rooted in what you can see and touch? Do you think that you have your own personal guardian angel who watches over and protects you? Have you ever had a near death experience? Has something ever happened to you that you can’t possibly explain? Have you ever seen an angel? What did it look like? Was it dressed in plain clothes or did it look like a heavenly being?
Use these questions as today’s writing prompt! Even if you don’t think that angels surround us, write a short story about someone who does and why they believe in them. Or write about why you don’t believe in them…this topic could go further and further down the rabbit hole! The possibilities are endless for a great story!
Writing Exercise…
Today’s writing exercise comes in the form of a prompt to get your creative juices flowing!
Have you ever wondered if you’ve lived in another era? Do you believe in reincarnation or lucid dreaming? Have you thought about what it would be like to visit a different time period? Today we will be writing about another time in life, a time in which you know nothing about so use your imagination!
- What part of the world are you in?
- What year, era or time period are you in?
- What is the dress of the time, what are you wearing, what are others wearing?
- How did you get there?
- Describe the scenery around you
- What is your position? Are you a person of power? Are you a pioneer?
- What is your mode of transportation? Is there transportation? Horse and buggy? By foot? Space craft?
- Describe the people/creatures/animals that you interact with
- How do you sustain yourself? Do you hunt and gather? Is there currency? What is the form of currency/barter?
- What are you there for? To save mankind? To destroy the world? To visit with others in your past and receive or reveal a message of some kind?
You get the picture so get writing! This is a really fun exercise that will stretch your imagination to the limit!
The Recipe for a Great Mystery…
So, you’ve decided to write a mystery! That’s exciting! But how do you know what makes a great mystery if you’ve never written one? Sure, you’ve read a ton of mystery books over the years but do you know the ingredients to keep the reader flipping the pages? Here’s what you’ll need to keep your reader engaged:
- Puzzle-There’s usually a puzzle that needs solving and 9 times out of 10 it involves the death of someone. For example, “His body was cold and bloody; I looked around and wondered how he ended up in the alleyway.”
- Suspense-Will the mystery be solved and how will it be solved? For example, “We located the killer by dusting the body for prints.”
- Hero/Heroes-Who will solve the mystery? This one is pretty self explanatory…
- High stakes for the hero or victim-There must be a reason why the mystery needs to be solved, it has to involve a payoff for the hero or victim, what’s in it for them? For example, “The victim was selling drugs, he got in deep with the wrong people; turns out he started selling them because he was going to lose his house…”
- The Solution is revealed-Who did it and why? “Rocco Roselli put a bullet in the guy’s head to shut him up, the victim was shooting his mouth off about the shipping container full of cocaine he found and was gonna black mail the mafia.”
- Triumph of Good vs Evil- Mafia guy gets caught and is brought to justice by the hero/heroes.
So there you have it, the recipe for a successful mystery! Get cooking!
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