The Writer Igniter is a writing prompt generator with literally millions of possible story prompts. It currently exists as a web app right here at DIY MFA, but it hasn’t always been this high-tech. Read on to learn about the process behind how the DIY MFA Team and I developed this new feature. It all… Continue Reading »
Writing
As I mentioned in my introduction to the ThrillerFest recaps, I fully expected to learn a lot about plot, pacing and suspense. What I did NOT expect was that character development would be the central topic to just about every talk or panel I attended. Character development in a thriller? Actually, that idea is not… Continue Reading »
Writing
To wrap up our week-long series about naming characters we’re going to play a game. In the picture below there are two lists of names. Select one name from each list (or even pick two names from the same list.) You can pick names that you think go well together, or if you’d rather leave… Continue Reading »
Writing
Anyone who’s ever taken a writing class has had to do the eavesdropping exercise. You know, that exercise where you go to a public place and listen in on someone’s conversation and write everything down. It’s supposed to teach you how people talk (and how book dialogue is much more interesting than in-real-life dialogue.) This… Continue Reading »
WritingExtracting an outline is a great way to evaluate your story and kickstart the revision process. When you extract an outline you flip the process around, writing the story first and doing the outline later. Instead of using the outline to decide what you plan to write, you use it to determine what you’ve already… Continue Reading »
WritingThis week we’ve talked about supporting characters and how to use them effectively. Recall that supporting characters are meant to do just that: support the main character by shining a spotlight on different aspects of that protagonist’s personality. Even villains are supporting characters (though perhaps not “supportive” characters) because they help bring out a side… Continue Reading »
Writing
This week’s prompt is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. In fact, it’s pretty tough to do. For one week, commit to writing every day. Notice that there are no stipulations as to quantity or quality of the writing. You can write as little or as much as you like, for… Continue Reading »
Writing
Most of the time, reading is a private activity, something we do alone or as a way to isolate ourselves. When we read, we enter that magic bubble that takes us to far off places and shows us things we never knew possible. Like the woman in the picture, when we read we are often… Continue Reading »
Reading
This week we’ve talked about reading with purpose and the three steps crucial to making it happen. Now this weekend, I challenge you to put it all into action. Prompt: Make a Reading Plan First, you need to make yourself a reading list. Use the Reading List Worksheet to put your list together. You can… Continue Reading »
Reading
Description is like a mosaic. Each word joins hundreds of others, one detail building on the one before until combined they make a full picture. Each piece of the mosaic is crucial to the whole and it’s imperative that they each be the right word. The difference between the right word and the almost right… Continue Reading »
Writing