It’s been a bit hectic this last few day. I went on a mini vacation and my connection to the internet wasn’t that great. Hence, the delay in posting. It also didn’t help that my flights kept getting moved around because of the weather. Needless to say, it was a long week.
For today, here’s a post I found on pinterest concerning court positions.
As a writer, I try to make my characters as 3D as possible. Sometimes, I’ll fill out entire questionnaires out for them on what they like to eat, what they do on their day off, what sort of music they listen to, etc. However, doing that for everyone can get a bit too much. I don’t always have the time and it gets a bit boring. Plus, I don’t want to force myself to do something.
Instead of filling out questionnaires, I try to picture a particular character in different scenarios. I find that this method is a bit more helpful because it lets me envision the character in motion. These scenarios can also be done with couples, friends, family, etc. Plus, they’re easy to alter because they’re in my head. Sometimes, I write them down in my idea notebook but most of the time, I don’t.
Some examples of the scenarios I envision are: Who would order drinks while the other grabs a table? How would s/he do if they found a cat stuck in a tree? Would s/he go to the store at night if they were craving ice-cream? They aren’t always like that but you get the picture.
There are various websites out there (like tumblr) that have really good scenarios and prompts to take inspiration from. In my spare time, I browse through these
Sure, there are some scenarios between my characters that would never be included in the actual story but it does help with their development off the page. New ideas tend to sprout and give me a healthy dosage of inspiration. While it doesn’t always happen, I like continuously think about ideas and what’s going on the page next.
Plus, I like having an idea of what to write before sitting at my computer. It’s a way that I prevent myself from staring at a blank page and wondering what I should write. It keeps my stress levels down and I feel more productive. If I k ow what to write, I get more writing done in on sitting.
Overall, scenarios work as a form of exercise for me. I can use them as creative prompts for my writing and my “creative” mind is always sharp. Sure, I give myself breaks but always thinking about writing and stories is really fun for me. It’s one of my favorite pastimes.
It also helps during any sort of road trip or errand. I get motion sickness so I can’t read or write anything. Having scenarios play out in my head keeps me entertained and occupied.
Happy Friday! I found this while I was scrolling through Pinterest. I think it’s an accurate representation.
As July winds down, so does Camp NaNoWriMo. Though I would like to say that everything is going well with my writing, it isn’t. I’m a bit short of my writing goal. It doesn’t leave me much time since Camp NaNoWriMo ends tomorrow.
In order to motivate everyone, myself included, I’m going to provide an inspirational quote. Then, I’m going to back to writing.
Instead of a writing prompt, today I want to share something that I wrote. It’s a story that I created a long time ago but it has only recently made any progress. Somewhere online, that I don’t remember now, I read that oneself isn’t a bad writer. It just so happens that your current skills aren’t enough to realize the image/ ideas that you have in your head. This resonated a lot with me. That’s why, I’m proud to share what I have written.
A light rainy mist began to fall against the stained-glass window as Lydia stood motionless in the headmistress’s office. The soft rain kissed the window portraying the first wave of the heaven stars falling from the sky. Lydia could feel the warmth from the fire burning in the hearth to her right against her body. The warmth had seeped into her clothes, relaxing her muscles and spreading a small drowsy spell upon the trainee. But despite the warmth and the laziness of the day, Lydia remained in her posture; hands straight down her sides, back straight and eyes looking forward.
The headmistress shuffled around a few parchment sheets upon her large oak desk. Her head dress was titled slightly back exposing white blonde hair. Upon entering the room half an hour ago, Lydia had noticed the dark circles underneath the usually cheerful brown eyes. On further inspection, Lydia could faintly see all the flaws in the headmistress’ attire; the wrinkles and the once beautiful shade of beige had turned into a light yellow.
“You graduate in six months.”
“Yes ma’am,” Lydia answered, tightening her stance.
She waited for a few minutes hoping the headmistress would keep talking. However, the silence continued.
“If I may,” Lydia began. “Why exactly have you summoned me?”
“Do know about the town of Loukussa?”
“It’s a mining town,” Lydia supplied. “They located near the Artican Mountains. It’s not very prosperous at the moment because of the lack of use for Kravite.”
“A heaven star fell near Loukussa a few moons ago,” the headmistress explained. “The Northern Order sent in their warriors and they were successful.”
Lydia frowned but kept her silence.
“However, activity has been reported near that area and Gylaw fears his followers are starting to think of him as incompetent. Due to this, Gylaw has called in a favor.” The Headmistress placed the parchment sheets on her desk. “The Northern warriors’ faces are known, and we want to keep this a discreet as possible. If you return from your mission successfully then consider yourself a Jeweled Knight.”
“Thank you for the opportunity, ma’am,” Lydia said. “I won’t fail.”
“You are to report tomorrow at the east gate. Further instructions about your mission will be provided then.”
“I understand.”
Dabbling in the Art of Writing 