Posts Tagged writing
Describing the Physical Setting
The topic of our upcoming craft chat (Saturday, January 24, 2009) is how to describe the physical setting in your novel. Over the next two weeks, we’ll attempt to post prompts and challenges along with some helpful tidbits about this topic here.
One thing that seems to be overlooked when writing a scene is using several senses. Draw your reader in by including at least three of the five senses: smell, touch, taste, sight, and sound. Thinking about the five senses, how could you describe an artist’s studio? Try playing around with the five senses, using a different set of three each time. How does it change the feel of the room?
This Old House
Writing prompt:
Write about a situation where the first character wishes to achieve a certain goal, but is prevented by the second character.
Character 1: Octavio Washer
Goal: To restore a creepy old house
Character 2: Paul Shaner
Writing Prompt: The Snooping Neighbor
Write about a situation in which an obstacle causes problems for this character:
Character: Daisy Swiss
Obstacle: A snooping neighbor
Writing Prompt: Character vs. Character
Write about a situation where the first character wishes to achieve a certain goal, but is prevented by the second character.
Character 1: Rebecka Lorenzo
Goal: To die penniless
Character 2: Roland Woodring
Writing Prompt – Character’s Physical Description
Entertain some dialogue between two of your characters. As you write the dialogue, only focus on one particular physical description, such as their eyes, their hands, chins, etc. Pick only one. Try to write your physical descriptions to convey emotions, or better yet, have the emotions from one character contrast dramatically with the other character and show that through how you portray their physical description.
Writing Prompt: Character’s Physical Description
Introduce the antagonist in a story, allow his physical description and body language to convey his/her sinister or selfish nature. (From: Creative Writing Solutions)
Contests of Interest
Second Annual Short Story Contest: The Smoking Poet
$10.00 per submission – 5,000 words maximum
Deadline is May 31, 2009
Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition
10 categories for the 78th Annual Writing Competition
More than $30,000 in cash and prices.
Deadline is May 15, 2009
Listing of writing contests that may be of interest:
http://www.oncewritten.com/WritingContests.php
And as always, Duotrope.com always keeps a huge database full of short story, novel and poetry contests. Be sure to stop by, throw them a bit of your cash to keep this wonderful free service going and if you haven’t already, sign up for their free newsletters.
Write on!
Craft and Critique Workshop Sunday, Nov. 2nd
This workshop promises to be exciting as we’ll be using our first half of the workshop trying our hand (or for those who’ve done this before, dazzling us) at flash fiction! Mark your calendars now, this is one not to miss!
Date: Sunday, November 2, 2008
Time: Noon to 3:00PM (Note the time change)
Place: Chico Branch of the Butte County Library
Addy: 1108 Sherman Avenue (cross of First Ave.), Chico
NOTE: The off ramp at First Avenue may be CLOSED. Please use the links to the maps below if you need directions using an alternate route.
Maps: Google |
MapQuest |
Microsoft |
Yahoo
12:00 Noon – 1:00 PM Craft Workshop
We’ll be trying out a workshop using flash fiction where writers are given a topic to write on for a few minutes and then discuss. This should be a very fun activity!
After the exercise, we’ll discuss the focus of the writing exercise, a specific element of the craft of writing. A sure winner for all genres of fiction!
1:00 – 3:00 PM Critique Workshop
Manuscripts need to be submitted to [kathie dot blog at gmail dot com] on or before noon Saturday October 25, 2008 and will be distributed to members who have attended meetings consistently and are in good standing. If you plan on attending but have not done so previously, you may request a copy be available to you when you arrive, however, we will not be distributing manuscripts to non-members for privacy and copyright purposes.
For more information, contact the organizer, Kathie Leung (pronounced Lee-young) at 521-4264 or [kathie dot blog at gmail dot com].
RSVPs requested! (You may use the "comment" link below to RSVP. Just please be sure to provide a valid email address. RSVP comments and general inquiry comments are not published and email addresses are never published.)
More Writing Exercise Gone Wrong
Here are some more "Why Did The Chicken Cross the Street" answers submitted by Playwright Anne Wycoff who notes she’s merely rearranged the true words of these famous people.
Shakespeare:
To cross, or not to cross, that is the question;
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to stay
The smash and squish of outrageous traffic,
Or to take wings against a road of cars,
And by opposing, cross them.
Robert Burns:
The best laid schemes of chickens an’ cars
Often go awry.
Carman Bliss:
Set me the road to cross, in which I can put my wing,
my beak, my claw, of my very self,
and it is a road to cross no longer, it is joy;
It is roadkill. And It is the reason why I cross the road.
Mark Twain:
The miracle, or the power, that elevates the few brave chickens to cross the road, is to be found in their egg laying, flight and stupidity under the promptings of a winged, driven spirit.
That, and the fact that their brains are the size of my pinky finger nail, will ensure their unfortunate demise.
Louisa May Alcott:
As a chicken, I am no longer afraid of roads, for I am learning how to drive a car and join my brothers in quest of becoming Foster Farms chickens.
Henry David Thoreau:
Cowardly chickens suffer the desire to cross, heroic chickens, though some be dead, enjoy the thrill of crossing the road of life.
Toni Morrison:
Birth, life and death: Each took place on the hidden side of the road as an egg, a chick and an unfortunate encounter with a Harley Davidson.
Edgar Allan Poe:
Deep into the dark road peering, long I clucked there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no chicken ever dared dream before.
Pearl S. Buck:
None who have always been on the other side the road, can understand the terrible, facinating power of the hope of crossing the road to those who are on the wrong side of the road.
Mahatma Ghandhi:
The difference between crossing the road and being capable of crossing the road would suffice to solve most of the chicken coups problems.
Erma Bombeck:
What’s wrong with you chickens? Would you stop laying eggs if you realized that you have wings? You don’t have to cross the road. You can fly over it!
Anne Wycoff:
We are always trying to cross the damn road and not appreciate the side of the road we are on.
Read On
As a writer, reading is required. There are a zillion reasons why a writer should read.
LibraryThing, therefore, is another necessity. This free (there is also a paid version with perks) membership allows you to catalog every book you own, have read or even hope to read. It allows you to connect with other readers and sometimes the authors. There are links allowing you to trade books or, if you’re that adventurous, leave a book behind somewhere conspicuous and track it as it makes it’s way into other people’s lives. Read the rest of this entry »
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