I’m very happy to announce the release of Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Teens–Second Edition.
The second edition of Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Teens contains expanded chapters and over 50 writing prompts to help young writers find story ideas and defeat writer’s block.
Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Teens has the concise answers that teen writers need to their writing questions. Whether at the beginning of a story or in the middle, or whether the words or flowing or or mired in hesitation, teen writers will find writing prompts, encouragement, concrete solutions to writing problems, tips for plotting, writing dialogue, characterization and more.
Reviewers of the first edition said:
“Writing Fiction is a bare-bones resource. If the information isn’t useful, it isn’t there. That is what makes it so valuable. Teens don’t have to wade through pages of padding to get to the good stuff. The book contains only the good stuff. Teens interested in writing will make good use of this book.”
CM: CANADIAN REVIEW OF MATERIALS, Manitoba Library Association
“This guide to writing fiction speaks directly to young writers and provides tools to help them become successful in their writing endeavours and to have fun doing so … The author’s love of writing and enthusiasm for sharing her expertise with young writers shines through this guidebook, making it a wonderful resource for young writers.”
CANADIAN TEACHER magazine
To read a couple of sample chapters, please click here.You can purchase copies at Amazon.com here and Amazon.ca here.
Like many of you, I’m making my to-do list for 2014. If yours is still a work-in-progress, here are a couple of blogs that suggest refreshing strategies for setting your 2014 goals.
The first is by James Clear, who states, “What I’m starting to realize, however, is that when it comes to actually getting things done and making progress in the areas that are important to you, there is a much better way to do things. It all comes down to the difference between goals and systems.” To read Clear’s blog, “Forget Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead”, click here.
The other blog that changed my to-do list focus was this one from Kristi Holl, “A Writer’s Happy New Year.” In it she says, “I took another look at my 2014 goals. There wasn’t one single fun thing on the single-spaced, two-page list.” If your list looks like hers, click here for ways to put fun and renewal in your 2014 to-do list.
I found both of those blogs helped me focus my goals for 2014. Stuff happens, and I know that there will be a lot of unexpected bumps along the way to December 31, 2014. I’m hoping that working on creating a workable system for my writing and making sure that I also book some breathing time into my life along the way will make 2014 a positive writing year. I wish you a wonderful writing year, too.
To get things started, here are the prompts for this month.
1. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem.
table, clock, cold, blue, sharp, brush
dress, late, light, silver, touch, ring
2. Try one of these opening sentences.
Did he just wink at me?
Claire slid the ring off her finger.
I used to think Jack worried too much.
Never meet your best friend in a graveyard.
I wondered why she’d left the TV on so loud.
A siren wailed in the night.
3. Can you think of a story or poem for one of these titles?
Wrapping Paper, Diary of a Break-Up, Labour of Love, At the River’s Edge, Blue is for Boys, The Time Tree, Light’s Haven
4. Here are some snippets of dialogue. What scene can you create for the speakers?
November just flew by, and I’m sure December will, too. I’m working on a big freelance gig right now, and there’s the possibility of another project for a children’s publisher before the month is over–lots to keep me busy! I’m determined to find time for joywriting, too, in amongst all the other commitments, though, believe me, I’m not aiming for a high word count. I have a book idea that I’d like to plot out to see if it’s worth pursuing, and I want to go back to journaling every day. That’s my limit.
I hope you find some ways to stay connected to your writing through the holidays. It’s a tough slog getting reacquainted with those writing muscles after they’ve been allowed to be lazy for a long time–and, trust me, I speak from considerable, sad experience. If you need some inspiration to help you fill a journal page this month, maybe some of the following writing prompts will help.
1. Use one, some, or all of these words in a story or poem:
holiday, red, flash, tin, tremor, find
salt, light, hand, turn, cover, water
bag, handle, glass, date, black, walk
2. What is your character’s favourite holiday movie? When and where was your character the first time he or she saw it? Who was your character with? Does the memory make your character happy or sad? Why?
3. See if you can imagine a story to go with one of these titles? Behind the Curtain, Red Mittens, The Centre Closes, Mr. Snow, Dead on Time, The Last Photograph
4. Imagine what might be happening before, during and after these lines of dialogue.
Where is it?
I left it at school.
Then you can’t come with us.
We’re done here
But we haven’t —
I said, we’re done.
Have you heard from Gregor?
No. We’ve not heard from him for five days?
Then, there’s no news of the battle either?
No.
5. See if some of these opening lines suggest a story.
“No. You unwrap your present first.”
I yanked out my earbuds. That noise had to be a scream.
Margot always ate her vegetables first.
The smell of smoke lingered long after the blaze had died.
I huddled in the stern as the sea slammed the little boat.
I hope those of you who are participating in NaNoWriMo this month get off to a great start. I signed up, just to keep track of my words and see my goals getting closer to completion. There’s no way that I’m going to write anywhere near 50,000 words, but I like the discipline of the event. I know a few others who have signed up, and we will be cheerleaders for each other for the next 30 days.
For those of you who like to take a different approach to NaNo word counts, YA author, Nicole Humphrey Cook, describes a reverse NaNo system that leaves you only having to write 1 word on the last day. Check the system she uses here.
I hope you enjoy writing whatever you write this month, and here are some writing prompts to get those creative engines running.
1) Try one of these opening sentences to start a story or novel:
I was beginning to wonder if driving a car was something I should be doing with a cranky Dalmatian in the back seat and a migraine pounding behind my eyes.
Some tunes bring back the wrong kind of memories.
I’d thought the carpet was clean until my face made close and painful contact.
At times like this, I knew better than to ask, “Why me?”
Was I the only one who had noticed that there’d been no squeal of brakes before the car hit the gate post?
2) Here are some titles that might suggest a story: Blue Yesterday, The Ring Keeper, Last Wishes, Diary of a Dropout, The Ruby Secret, The Gold Claw
3) Can you picture the scene when you hear these lines of dialogue?
Did you hear about Henry?
No. What’s new?
He’s run away.
Please stop doing that.
Why?
It reminds me of someone.
Who?
Your brother.
I have to leave.
But, I need your help.
It’s a bit late to ask.
4) See if these random words suggest a story or poem:
knife, paper, ice, coat, silver, lake
clasp, frame, red, strike, notes, tin
5) What masks do your characters wear to hide their feelings in certain situations? Whom do they trust to see behind their masks?
6) What costumes did your characters want to wear on Hallowe’en when they were children? Did they want to be superheroes or bunnies or witches or pirates or ….? What was your favourite Hallowe’en costume? Why was it your favourite?
Well, winter’s been doing its best to threaten us this week–icy car windows, the scramble to find mittens and scarves, fat flakes of snow flying horizontally past windows, but none of the snow has stayed on the ground long enough to be considered ‘real’ snow. Personally, I’d like winter to wait just a little longer. Fall has been extraordinarily beautiful here. We must have had just the right kind of summer weather we needed to create the oranges, golds, and yellows that still brighten the trees.
Today is a sit-by-the-fire-and-watch-the-sleet kind of day. And a writing day, too. Naturally, there are lots of other items on the to-do list, but writing is going to be top of the agenda for the next hour or two. Nice.
Are you planning to try National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) this November? I’m working with some other writers on an amended version of the NaNo challenge to get a couple of my current projects past the stalled stage. We all set our own goals, or use the NaNo daily, 1667-word-count that produces a 50,000-word novel by November 30th. Some of the writers in my group will be signed up for NaNo, and others, like me, will have their own daily word count goals. Either way, we will be checking in every day to report on our progress. If you’re signed up for NaNo, I’d love to hear what you’re planning to work on, and I also wish you every success.
I’m going to shut things down for a while, get out the journal, and do some writing. Since it’s November 1st next week, I’ll be brainstorming some new first-of-the-month writing prompts, too.
Today is rainy, damp and dreary–and a perfect day for me to hunker down with the laptop and get some writing and editing done. Hope you are having a writerly day, and if you need some inspiration, here are your writing prompts for October.
1. Start a story with
• a character eating slowly
• a character cheering
• a character pushing something
2. Try one of these opening sentences:
• Yellow leaves crackled underfoot.
• Ben pulled the brim of his hat further down over his eyes.
• The cave was dark, but at least it was dry.
• The last thing Helen needed now was a crying little brother.
• “Storm’s coming.”
3. See if these snatches of dialogue spark a scene or story.
“We need to find shelter.”
“Yes, I’d figured that out.”
“I can’t take another step.”
“I know. I’m tired, too.”
“You don’t understand. I really can’t take another step.”
“Whose car is that?”
“Hal’s, I think. Why?”
“I’ve seen it before.”
“Oh. Where?”
“I’m not sure you want to know.”
4. Think of a story that might go with one of these story titles:
Rider Wrong, In the Mirror, Homecoming, Tow Away Zone, Drive By, The Last Train.
5. Use one, some or all of these words to inspire a story or poem:
Back-to-school mode has hit our house, though I deliberately left my school prep at home for the weekend, having plowed through many hours of it last week. I have new binders and dividers and white board markers, and, even now, I wish I could justify buying new crayons and construction paper, too. Those were a big part of going back to school when I was a child. And the crayons had to be Crayola and not Peacock because I never thought I got dark enough colours from the Peacock crayons. Pencil crayons had to be Laurentian–same reason.
The first day of school always feels like my New Year’s Day. For me, this is when new goals are set and resolutions made: edit one book; create a new edition of another, publish a third, and, by October 25th, finish 8 short stories for an anthology that I’m co-writing. Lots on my plate–and I’m looking forward to all of it! Do you set goals at one particular time of year or do you reevaluate and set new goals as the year goes a long–or a combination of both! Whichever you choose, do you find that setting goals is useful? How do you keep your focus on reaching your goals? I find that calendars and blocking out writing time and making a lot of lists are methods that I need to get to the finish line. Oh, and a healthy dose of forgiveness when things go pear-shaped and I need to regroup. After all, if we can’t be kind to ourselves …?
Here are some writing prompts to play with this September. If you’re still working on your writing goals for 2013, maybe one of these prompts will help.
Use one, some, or all of these words in a story or poem: blue, jar, post, mirror, glow. Or try these: door, sliver, label, dawn, clasp.
Here are some opening lines you might try.
Where’s Ralph?
Yesterday I would never have guessed that this could be true
The sword felt heavy in her hand.
Flight was second nature to him.
My best friend is a ghost.
My mother always said that it was better to ask for forgiveness than for permission
Maybe these lines of dialogue will inspire a scene:
We have to go.
But I like it here.
And I like staying alive.
Wilson has the answer.
Are you sure?
Yes. And I’m not the only one. That’s why we need to get him out of here now.
Here are some story titles you can play with–Playing Unsafe, Nightmare Island, The Goblin’s Revenge, River of Sighs, The Final Race, The Grove, Wendy’s Wish.
I said I would have 50 new prompts by the end of my vacation, so here’s 20 more to go with yesterday’s 30. Whew!
Have a great Sunday!
31. Write a scene that happens in a parking lot.
32. Brainstorm around the word “ice.” Take one or two of the ideas that you generate and see where your imagination takes you.
33. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem: screen, light, white, wave, sleek, torrent
34. Go for a walk and look closely at something that is smaller than you. See if you can think of words to describe it that use all five senses.
35. Try one of these opening lines:
Tires weren’t the only things that screeched when Marko turned the corner.
A graveyard?
Wishing stars can work.
36. Write a scene with an animal and a hill.
37. Here are some lines of dialogue for your story:
“Where are we?”
“I have no idea. But I do know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s not safe.”
38. Start a story with one of these actions:
Someone or something falling
Someone standing at attention
Someone shaking something
39. See if any of these pairs of images suggest a story or poem: a candle and a book, a loud noise and a tree, a whisper and a cave.
40. Try one of these titles for a story or poem: Wind Song, Castle Hill, Never Ever, The Last Game, First of the Few, Dragon’s Pride
41. Using your birthday month, or a friend’s, use the number of the month in a story. My birthday is in October, so I would need to use the number 10.
42. We expect scary things to happen in old, abandoned houses or in graveyards or in dark forests. Write a scary scene that happens in a place where the characters would expect to be safe and happy.
43. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem: holiday, window, fire, call, paper, carving.
44. Think about a major political or social issue/event that you’ve read about in the newspaper or heard about on TV. What would be your character’s opinion of that issue or event? How would your character behave if s/he were stuck in an elevator with someone with the opposite opinion?
45. What memory from the past does your character wish s/he could forget?
46. Write a scene with a photograph.
47. Start a story with one of these actions:
Someone tripping over something
Someone hearing something loud
Someone telling a secret
48. See if any of these pairs of images suggest a story or poem: a keyboard and a wish, wings and a sword, a door and a small animal, a box and a date.
49. Try one of these titles for a story or poem: Fear Corner, Connections, The Cloak of Parmel, Winter Mystery, Silver’s Forest, Reflection.
My goal for my vacation was to create 50 new writing prompts. I managed 30, which means, from one perspective, that I had a very lazy and enjoyable vacation. And which, quite frankly, is really okay. Technically I have another two days, so I’ll be working, in between loads of laundry, to create the other 20 by Sunday night. In the meantime, I thought I’d share what I came up with here. I’ve added them under the Writing Prompts tab, too.
Do you reread books? I do. In fact that’s what I’ve been doing for the past two weeks. I’m a fan of the Dorothy L. Sayers’ Peter Wimsey novels, and discovered that they could be purchased very easily and inexpensively for my Kobo–a dangerous discovery for someone like me. Anyhow, I’ve been rereading all the ones featuring Harriet Vane, and I’ve really enjoyed them. Perfect vacation reading. Like visiting old friends. What kind of books do you reread?
Hope you have a great weekend, and if writing is on your agenda, maybe one of these prompts will help you with your story.
1. See if these pairs of images inspire a story or poem: Blue pens and ice cream, flashlights and doorknobs, tea cups and sunglasses.
2. What was your character’s favourite childhood movie? Which movie scared him/her? (For me, it was when Pinocchio got swallowed by the whale.) From your character’s point of view, write his/her memoires of seeing these films.
3. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem: door, bottle, corner, light, smile, star.
4. Try one of these first lines to start a story:
The ring hit the empty garbage can with a clunk.
Why are you leaving?
I heard the bang and ran.
5. Can you think of a story for one of these titles?
Wings and Lace, Emerald Crown, Longing, Full Stop, Star Struck, Run, Hitching a Ride.
6. Can you work these lines of dialogue into a scene or a story?
“You missed!”
“I know.”
“But you never miss.”
7. What’s your favourite song or soundtrack? Explain why this music is special to you and why someone should listen to it.
8. See if these pairs of images suggest a story or poem: yellow lilies and rain, smoke and a mirror, lightning and a wing.
9. Try one of these opening sentences to begin a story or scene:
Snow. Again.
I missed the sign that read: Caution Wet Floor.
Loose gravel crunched beneath my feet.
I thought she looked familiar.
10. They say that our sense of smell is the most evocative of our senses. When I smell lavender I recall memories of my grandmother. When I smell fried onions, I think of the Canadian National Exhibition, and am swamped with images from many childhood trips there. What smells can trigger your memories? Where do those memories lead when you start to write them down?
11. Consider starting your story with one of these actions:
Someone running away
Someone or something getting lost
Someone being frightened
Someone or something falling.
12. Are you afraid of heights, spiders or crowds of people? What is your character afraid of?
13. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem: cup, bloom, note, cave, sign, red.
14. What does your character think and feel when she/he looks in the mirror?
15. Can you work these lines of dialogue into a scene or a story?
“It’s too dark. I can’t see.”
“We have to keep going.”
“YOU have to keep going.”
16. What was your character’s favourite childhood toy? What do these toys tell you about your character? Did your character learn any special skill while playing with these toys that might help him or her in your story?
17. See if these pairs of images inspire a story or poem: spoons and blue jeans, running shoes and a rainbow, tea cups and sunglasses.
18. Try one of these opening sentences:
I thought flying would be harder.
Jill disappeared on Wednesday.
I was sure I heard the sound of wings.
19. Who is your favourite modern author? Go back and reread just the first pages of his or her novels. Look closely at the techniques used to get and keep the reader’s attention. Look at your own first pages and see if you can incorporate any of those techniques to make the beginning of your story more appealing to readers.
20. Consider starting your story with one of these actions:
Someone climbing
Someone lighting a fire
Someone throwing something.
21. What is the one thing that your character doesn’t want anyone to find out about him or her?
22. Can you work these lines of dialogue into a scene or a story?
“I was told to bring you here.”
“Who told you?”
“You’ll find out soon.”
23. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem: pitcher, nail, bag, yellow, edge, chain
24. Is your character a good sailor or does s/he get motion sickness? Can either of these characteristics be used in your story? An ocean voyage? A ride on a roller coaster?
25. Try one of these opening sentences:
Eldor was a different kind of capital city.
Chains rattled.
It was my turn to dig.
26. Who is your reader? Take some time and describe your reader. How old? What interests? Favourite TV shows? Where does he or she read? What makes your reader put a book down? What makes him or her smile or feel sad? What makes him or her laugh? Make your reader as real as possible, and think of this reader when you sit down to write.
27. Here are some lines of dialogue for your story.
“It’s cold.”
“Yes.”
“I’m freezing!”
“Keep moving.”
28. Try one of these opening lines:
The forest sighed.
There was only one way to find out if this would work.
They were wrong. Blood did not look like ketchup.
29. Use one, some or all of these words in a story or poem: fence, line, sharp, red, cord, leaf, window
30. What does your character do at the beach? Play a competitive game of beach volleyball? Laze in the sun? Read? Catch up on email? Swim? Avoid the crowds? What do his or her preferences tell you about your character that you might not have known before?
I’ve been taking some time away from the desk, and I thought I’d share some of the sights I’ve seen. Even though I’m not glued to my laptop, I’ve still given myself a writing challenge: 50 new writing prompts for the site–a perfect project for relaxing times.
I’m very happy to announce the release of Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Teens–Second Edition.
