Stealing Plots

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! I hope you all had a fantastic week and are looking forward to the long weekend. Perhaps you want to use that time to craft new book ideas. Well, you've come to the right place! Today, I'm going over how you can steal plots from real life to craft novels. Intrigued? Then grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

If you remember the posts I did on plot ideas (part one and part two), you'll know I'm a huge advocate of using things you see/read/hear to inspire you. Well, let's look at life for some inspiration and see exactly how that works.

Situation one: You're sitting, watching the news, and a story comes on about terrorists on a train and three heroes who leap in and save the day (anyone remember this?). That's an awesome story, right? Those men have been talked about often since that day.

Situation two: Friend one calls you, sobbing. Her husband was part of the Ashley Madison scandal, and your friend has discovered he's had multiple affairs. Her life is ruined, and she tells you all the warning signs she saw but ignored as you try to make her feel better.

Let's break down and re-work both situations for awesome plot ideas, shall we?

Situation one: What if the terrorists were vampires and the heroes were slayers? Or, what if they were all women instead of men? What would've happened if it were some kind of plot to get rid of a different terrorist who was planning to bomb the train, and the men sent to stop it were thwarted by the "heroes" who thought they were doing something good?

Situation two: What if the husband wasn't cheating, but he'd been doing some kind of recon mission for the CIA or some secret organization? All the "warning" signs weren't what they seemed, but the wife has no way of knowing because she doesn't know he's a spy/assassin. That's a whole different story.

It's not the situation that matters; it's the details you want to store away in your brain for the book you can write with these ideas that are important.

What caused those men to react? What were they thinking? What did they see?

What were those "warning" signs your friend is talking about? How did her husband act? What excuses did he use to get out of the house and meet up with those women?

All these questions can be answered by watching interviews or asking questions. Be the sleuth. Be creative. Bend the world to fit the story you want to read, and write it.

Whether you're a paranormal, contemporary, fantasy, dystopian, contemporary, murder mystery, or other genre author, you can make your story and characters feel more real to your reader when you use real-life situations as the basis.

So, this weekend, my challenge to you is to take something you see on television or hear on the news and turn it into a plot for a novel in your genre.

Post them below! Let's see how creative you can be!

Well, that's all for today, folks. Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Story Designs

Happy Tuesday! Wow. We're into day two of the week and already it looks like it's gonna be five days that feel longer than they should be. But, as always, we must continue to press on. Today's post may lighten your mood a bit. I'm discussing plots. That's right, those timeless things we all have to consider when beginning to craft our novels. NaNoWriMo is right around the corner, and I know we're all gearing up to take part in the most fabulous writerly collective to ever happen. Maybe this post will spark some ideas for you. So, grab those pens and pencils and let's get going!

There are several structures you'll see used in novels. I'm gonna go over the most common ones.

1. The Boy She Can't Have - A female meets a male, and something is keeping them apart. We read on to the end to find out if they can ever resolve the obstacle and end up together. Many variations of this have happened, and there could be more than one thing the two need to overcome before they can be together. A sub-plot often includes another male the female may have an interest in, and she ends up having to choose. As an aside: This can also be male meets male or female meets female (LGBT romance). It's becoming more popular, and shouldn't be overlooked.
2. Taking Down the Bad Guy - Your society has a tyrant in control and he/she must be brought to justice somehow. This can also be Taking Down the Regime.
3. All Grown Up - How the protagonist matures to find inner strength through the span of life. A twist on this could be they can't die and end up having to live more than one life. May be physical or emotional aging.
4. Oh! The Grass is Greener. . . Right? - Your protagonist dreams of a brave, new world where everything is rainbows and butterflies, and everyone thinks he/she is the best. This person is probably feeling trapped, ostracized, or enslaved. But, once they get to their salvation, they realize what they had before wasn't so terrible after all, and they long for nothing but to return to life the way it was.
5. The Cinderella Syndrome - Poor girl/guy comes to fabulous riches through some means. It can be hard work, a fairy godmother, or a stroke of luck (like a winning lottery ticket). Your protagonist must be rewarded greatly. Be sure it doesn't turn into a Grass is Greener situation.
6. Cold to Hot - When the bitter heart of another is morphed into love once again. We all like to think people can be saved (even when at their worst), so this tale is about the most terrible villain brought to love once again by the most unassuming thing. Usually works best with something you never thought could bring a baddy to his/her knees.
7. The Little Engine that Could - Someone from humble beginnings sets the world right again. Basically, you're crafting a future hero for the people. 
8. Obtaining the Unobtainable - Many people have tried, and failed. But your protagonist succeeds. Think of lost treasure or a super power/bit of knowledge others have died trying to own.

As you can see, there are many structures for novels. When you get crazy fun, you can twist the plot to look like you're taking down the bad guy, only to have the worst person not be the one in the line of fire.

I suggest letting that happen organically. If you see it coming, your reader will, too.

No matter what structure you use, be sure you're writing in the genre expected by the reader. You don't want to bill it as a romance then kill off the lover at the end, or have your heroine running for her life while being chased by a mainiacle killer the whole time. Make sense?

What's your favorite structure/plot? Are you a Boy She Can't Have fan, or do you tend more toward The Cinderella Syndrome? Inquiring minds wanna know!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Checklists for Novels - Part 3 of 3 - Scenes, Dialogue, Complexity, and Character

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Halfway through the week, we are. Wow, the volume of that cheer blew my hair back. Guess you're all looking forward to the three day weekend, huh? Well, I hope you all have a novel you're editing right now and can print these little checklists and make good use of them with your *ahem* time off. Today, you get checklists for scenes, dialogue, complexity (in one), and character (there are three of these). At the end, you'll find a link to a PDF you can download, print, keep, and share! All I ask is that you don't alter it in any way. Thanks! Let's get going!

Scenes

• Do your scenes ebb and flow well?
• Are the four basic happenings taking place?

1. Action - This is the objective of the scene.
2. Reaction - What the emotional state of the protagonist is.
3. More Action - What they do about it.
4. Deepening - This happens only in the most dramatic scenes.

• Do you have a great hook, intensity, and a good setup for the next scene?

Complexity

• What value are you supplying to your reader (values can be life lessons or new opinions)?
• Is there a sub-plot that could be added that would give your protagonist (or antagonist) more depth?
• How will any sub-plots assist you in changing the values of your character?

Dialogue

• Have you used a lot of he said, she said?
• Can you turn any of the dialogue tags into action tags?
• Are you using the proper dialect?
• Contractions. Do you use them?

Characters (this is broken out in the checklists)

• Full Name - First, middle, and last along with any other names they've had along the way.
• Location - Where they live, where they were born, if different, why it changed.
• Age - Includes birthday, zodiac sign, and recent celebrations.
• Physical Description - Height, weight, hair color, eye color, shoe size, skin color, manicure?, pedicure?, hair length, eyebrows (V shaped, bushy, pencil thin, etc...), identifying marks, for women: bra size.
• Mental Description - Self centered, egotistical, timid, brash, vengeful, etc...
• Reasons for Mental Description - What happened in life to make them that way.
• Friends - Other characters. Are they major? Minor? Plot changing?
• Relationships - Spouse, kids, parents - with names and nature of relationship.
• Goals - What their ultimate life goal is.
• Career - What they do or want to do.
• Skills - Any skills they may have.
• Magical Powers - For fantasy or paranormal. Can they shoot fire from their asses? Lightning bolts from their eyes? Levitate? See through peoples' clothing?
• Sexual Orientation - Straight, gay, bisexual, etc...
• Fun - What they do to let their hair down.

Here's the link to the full PDF that has tweaks and little boxes to put checks in: GIMMIE MY FREEBIE!

Enjoy and share!

Have these changed the way you look at your novels?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Checklists for Novels - Part 2 of 3 - Deepening Plot and Structure

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! And isn't it a grand day! The sun is shining and words are everywhere for the grasping. Today, I'm continuing my printable checklists and taking the plot and structure lists from yesterday a bit further. No pens and notebooks. Just bring your mouse and printer, please. Let's get going!

Deepening Plot:

• Does my protagonist have a goal?
• What is that goal and why does it matter (who cares scenario)?
• When do I introduce the doorway of no return (should be in the first 1/4 of the novel)?
• Is my antagonist evil/bad enough?
• What's the relationship between my protagonist and my antagonist?
• Is it strong enough to warrant their continued angst? Why?
• What does my protagonist believe in deeply?
• How does that change?
• Did I make the change believable?
• What opinions did I alter to garner a change of core beliefs?
• Is there a sub-plot?
• If yes, could the sub-plot stand on its own?
• What was the reason for it?
• Can I take it out and keep the suspense/action going just as well?
• When I lay my plot out, does it flow in a linear fashion?

Deepening Structure:

• The Beginning

1. Have I shown the protagonist's world in enough detail so the reader understands the rules?
2. How did I do that?
3. Is the protagonist directly involved in creating or upholding those rules?
4. How so?
5. Do I have a dynamite opening line?
6. Is my prologue necessary?
7. Action first?
8. If no, how can I rearrange the story so explanation comes later?

• The Middle

1. Is there a sense of death hanging over my protagonist's head (physical, emotional, professional, or psychological)?
2. Could my protagonist simply walk away from the conflict and lose nothing (this should be a no)?
3. Why?
4. Is there plenty of action, reaction, and more action going on?
5. Are my stakes high enough?
6. What can I (or did I) do to raise them?
7. How did I set up the final battle or show that it's coming?

• The End

1. Did I answer all the questions I brought up in my reader's mind during the tale?
2. Is my ending a knockout, that'll leave my reader breathless or scratching their head?
3. Was my ending predictable?
4. What kind of ending do I have (objective reached, objective lost, or dangling)?
5. How did I set that up?

If you can answer all these questions without a second thought, your novel is very well built. These aren't checklists for when you're starting to write. They're for the final product. It'll help you spot holes you need to fill.

Remember, feel free to print these out or save them as you wish. If you want to share them, I'll be putting up a PDF tomorrow of all six together. All I ask is that you don't alter them in any way if you redistribute on your own site.

Tomorrow, a checklist for scenes, dialogue, and complexity and one on character. Be sure and come on back for those!

Are these lists something you've done in the past; or, is this all new to you?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

20 Ways to Plot Ideas - Part Two of Two

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I hope your Mondays weren't too bad. I know mine was super duper busy. Melody is in round three of edits and I'm into chapter four of Coralie. I hope you're all as excited as I am about that! Lots coming! But, today, we're continuing the discussion on how to come up with plot ideas. Here are the final ten! Grab your pens and notebooks and write these down!

If you missed day one, here's a link for you: 20 Ways to Plot Ideas - Part One of Two

11. Start With a Title
You can come up with so much from just a title! Think about it: Runner (what does that bring to mind?), The Fae of Ferion, Clockwork Cricket (maybe Cricket is a humanoid), A Piece of Peace. The possibilities are endless!

12. Create a Character
Develop a character using this outline: Character Bios. Then see where that character takes you. Don't forget that the Enneagram Personality Type List can help you decide how that character will act and react. Maybe the character you create will be a supporting cast member. That's okay, too! Change your bratty little brother into a bratty little sister and let them lead the protagonist. Run with it.

13. Make a List
Close your eyes and visualize something from your past. Use the memory to begin a list of things. Write down a couple of words for each scenario. Example: 1. Puppy (the one we found that was half starved) 2. Snow (the time we were homebound) 3. Accident (the time I drove my car into a tree) These all contain the thread of a story. Perhaps it can be woven into the blanket of a novel.

14. Trending
Read the paper or a magazine that deals with a specific subject. If you can read an issue of Popular Science and not get a billion ideas for a plot, you're not paying attention. See what's emerging in the world and write about it. Find something interesting and ask yourself these things: Who cares? What will the trend bring in the next ten years? How can it change the world if everyone takes to it? What if everyone fights it? Who will be impacted? And let your mind go nuts.

15. Prologue Writing
Lights, camera, action! Write a scene filled with action. Pretend it's a short story and use it to build a plot around. Make sure it causes your reader's heart to beat fast. Make them want to turn the page.

16. Write a Sentence
Come up with a fantastic first line for a story and go bananas. Write the entire prologue based on that sentence. Once you have that line, you can back up and flesh your character out or run forward and let him/her lead you where they may.

17. Playing the "What if?" Game
This is a fun game to get your brain working. I came up with an idea for a zombie novel by asking, "What if?" It's easy: Everything you see, question it. Say, "What if that squirrel could talk?" or, "What if people could turn invisible?" You'll find yourself with more plot ideas than you can shake a stick at (this is how The Bird came to be).

18. Do Research
Take a topic you love and plug it into the search engine of your choice. Read everything you come across and take notes or just hold it in your head. Once you've got a good grasp of your subject matter, start writing. All that research will give you a ton of reference to draw from (this is how Yassa came to be).

19. Just Write
Write about anything. It can be the chair you're sitting in, your dog, or the grass in your yard; but get something down on paper. You'll be surprised at how far it can take you. Your dog may be from a shelter, which is run by a corporation, which has a CEO that's a little kinky, and so on. See where I just took that one? It's all about letting your fingers fly.

20. A Dynamite Ending
Come up with the end first. Perhaps your character wins a race. What did he/she do to get there? What stood in the way? Maybe the character is disabled in some way but that didn't happen until he/she was in their thirties and the win is a miracle stemming from hard work and determination. If you have an ending with impact, you'll have little trouble backing up and creating the rest of the story.

I hope you all have wonderful plot ideas in your heads now; or, at the very least, intend to do a few of these exercises.

Thanks for joining me for these two days. Come on back tomorrow for more writing tips!

Which of these do you see working for you?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

20 Ways to Plot Ideas - Part One of Two

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are sitting with your muses for the writing days ahead. Today, I'm gonna tell you ten ways you can get great plot ideas. I hit on this a bit before when I gave you a little bit on How to find an Idea.This will be a lot more in depth. Don't worry, ten more will come tomorrow! So grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

1. Fire in Your Belly
I've breached this first one in the past. It's all about what fires you up. What issues get you all riled up? Pick one and apply some pressure. If you care, your reader will care. But be sure and turn it into a story that people can identify with. No one likes a long lecture.

2. Listen to Music
Sometimes music is just the thing to get your creative juices flowing. Listen to the words and close your eyes. Picture scenes in your head and write a few down.

3. Visualize Scenes
Before you begin writing for the day, take a few moments and watch a little movie in your head. Think of an issue, character, or situation you'd like to hit upon. Free write for at least an hour. Don't think about plot, structure, or punctuation/grammar. Put it away and don't look at it again for a few days. After that, go back and give it a read through. See what makes you smile. Cut it out and use it.

4. Pick up a Newspaper
See what's going on in the world at large. Twist it around and use it as a plot. Those six people who got arrested for cooking meth in their house? They must have a background! Who better to write on a compelling story like that than you?

5. Fetishes/Obsessions
Think about what people are into. Is it a weird predisposition to wear other peoples' shoes? How about a desire to collect things (hoarding)? What could they collect? If you're a fantasy author, this could be pixies they keep in jars; and the MC could be willing to do anything to get that next, rare one.

6. Thought Web
Back when I was talking about Blog Topics and Where they Come From, I discussed thought webs. This technique works for novels, too! Choose a word and go nuts!

7. Jobs
Start with a job and work your way around what the person in that profession must be dealing with. Maybe the stress leads down a path of self-destruction, maybe it leads down the road of homicide. Perhaps that job has made everyone crazy because of a bug in the ventilation system. Your imagination is the only thing holding you back with this path to plot.

8. Change the Genre
Alice in Wonderland and Snow White have been redone so many times! Why? There's a great plot there that's begging for a makeover! Grab a book and think about how it can be changed to suit a new genre. Make The Princess and the Pea a Sci-Fi story, change the names, outcome, and situation. At the very least, it'll give you direction.

9. I really want to write...
Take twenty minutes out of your day and grab a sheet of loose-leaf. Start with "I really want to write about..." and fill in the rest with what your heart desires to put on paper. Let it take its own direction. Don't force it.

10. Borrow
Do you have a favorite novel? Borrow the plot line. Change everything but the plot. Give characters the personalities you always wanted them to have and write about it. Remember, there are few original plots. It's what happens from point A to point B that's different.

I hope this gets you writing if you were in a slump.

What do you do to get plot ideas?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Plotting, Pantsing, and 'Tweening

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today I'm gonna talk about plotting, pantsing, and 'tweeners. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you're in the right place for learning! So, grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

First, let's discuss plotters.

If you're a plotter, chances are you have copious notes about where your character is going, what they're going to do, and where they'll end up when the story comes to an end. How many different plots are there? A ton. But every plot will tell you exactly what your character will face and achieve by the end of the story.

Plotters often go all out and make an entire outline before they begin writing.

Pros of Plotting:
You're almost guaranteed a well structured plot.
There are no holes in your story.
You have a lot of control over what happens and when.
A huge sense of security is provided for the writer.

Cons of Plotting:
Possible loss of spontaneity by the lead.
You can become stuck going in a direction you don't want to go in.
Twists that could happen are beaten into submission by structure.
Index cards can become overwhelming.

Now, on to the pantsers.

If you're a pantser, you probably write with abandon. There are no notes to guide you, and your lead goes wherever he/she wants to. You're but a follower and chronicler. Just the thought of an outline leaves you running for the hills, screaming gibberish about how you can't work under this kind of pressure.

Pantsers often grab a story idea and run with it; having no idea where the characters will end up.

Pros of Pantsing:
You have the freedom to let your characters do as they wish.
With a set word count goal every day, you write what you feel.
There is no direction you have to force your way toward; opening your story up to twists and turns.
Characters feel real and you have an excellent understanding of their nature.

Cons of Pantsing:
Your plot may have gaping holes.
Characters can get sidetracked in a big way, leading to parallel plots you didn't intend.
You have no control beyond what you decide to put on paper.
Fixing your manuscript when complete can be a huge pain in the ass.

What the hell is a 'tweener?

A 'tweener writes out a loose plot and pantses their way through the rest. If you're a 'tweener, you'll oftentimes change the plot halfway through or end up abandoning the finale you had in mind from the beginning altogether. You're in a class with some of the most creative writers because you hold an idea in your head but are open to changes along the way.

'Tweeners write down an idea, work it through, then write with a kind of abandon that sticks loosely to the original.

Pros of 'Tweening:
You have structure from the beginning, but aren't pigeonholed to one story line.
Your characters go where they choose and do whatever strikes their fancy with no prerequisites about how that should happen.
Your plot is generally solid.
Index cards are your friends, but you aren't afraid to set fire to them or put them through the paper shredder when need be.
Stories written by you are full of adventure.
There's a hint of security in that you have an ultimate goal for your lead.

Cons of 'Tweening:
You may find yourself burning those index cards only to re-write them and tack them back on the board because you lost your plot along the way.
You're more susceptible to writer's block because twists leave you with no way to get back on track.
Characters can take over your story and run amok.
You must keep copious notes as you go.

No matter what kind of writer you are, every story has a Lead, Objective, Confrontation, and Knockout (ending). Every story also has a doorway (moment of decision) through which plotters lead their characters, showing them exactly where to put their feet and telling them what to expect on the other side, pantsers shove their characters and step back to watch what happens, and 'tweeners send their characters to the door, educate them about what may be on the other side, open it, and note what happens next.

When doing your first round of edits, look for holes, fat, and structure. Make sure it's all working the way you want it to. If you know what kind of writer you are, you know what to be leery of.

What kind of writer are you? Why?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Slimming Down

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! I can't believe I missed my hump-day post, but working too much is never something I complain about. Today, we're talking about slimming down an overweight novel. These are just a few things you can do to cut out the drag. Remember, a good editor will tell you when it isn't working and give you suggestions on how to fix it. Grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going, shall we?

When you're writing a novel, you generally have three acts. The first is to introduce the doorway and the challenge/opposition. By the time you get to the third, you're ready to bring things to a head and give your novel an ending. What a lot of writers struggle with is the journey, the middle, the part where you are heading toward the end. Sometimes, it ends up with no excitement. On Tuesday, I gave you ways to add to your skinny tale. Now we're gonna talk about ways to slim it down if it's too heavy.

1. Cut out the boring. If you find the story lacking tension, take some of the scenes out. These can be reaction scenes, dialogue, or scenes lacking conflict. If your editor might lose interest, cut it down or cut it out.
2. Take away a subplot. You can absorb a subplot into the main plot to strengthen it, or combine two subplots into one to make things more interesting for the reader.
3. Kill someone off. That's right, kill them. Maybe they're stealing the spotlight from the main character or maybe you just decide their motives aren't for the purpose of good. As an alternative, you can combine two secondary characters and make them into one strong character.

If you craft act two well, you have the opening for a killer ending. You can put your protagonist through hell only to have them be rewarded for their struggles. Or, you can always have your protagonist fail. Some of those endings make a so-so book one that's remembered.

What exercises do you use to trim the fat?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Beating Middle of the Book Blahs

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today we're talking about middle of the book blahs and how to overcome them. So grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going, shall we?

Again, this is another section of the class offered over on IBGW.

We've all been there. That point where the character is dragging along on their journey toward triumph or failure of their ultimate goal. It's the dreaded middle of the book. After the doorway and before the culmination and reveal of all that's interesting. But how do you overcome the blahs? How do you keep your story from plodding along like a draught horse rather than bringing excitement like the thoroughbreds running in the Kentucky Derby?

A few things you can do:

1. Add a subplot. This should be done rarely and with care. Your subplot can be brought to a head just before your main plot, but don't let it take over and don't do it too often. A well-known subplot for many readers is the one in the Hunger Games series. I know I reference it often, but it uses many literary devices (and does it well).
2. Introduce a new character. From out of the wild, here they come, that new character you may have mentioned before but decides to take on a new role. Or, you may not have mentioned this character. Perhaps they only show up in the middle of the book to bring another facet to the action. They need to make the protagonist's life a little bit harder.
3. Find the glue between the antagonist and the protagonist and make it stronger. Make it matter. Show the reader why these two are in direct opposition by a little reveal of the past.

Now, those are just a couple of suggestions. The options are endless because it's your imagination. Dig deeply and don't allow your reader to go to sleep.

Join me tomorrow and we'll go over how to trim the fat from the middle of a book.

What devices do you use to add drama to the middle of your novel?

On another note, if you'd like a new book to read, Taken Before her very Eyes by Wade Faubert, the one I reviewed back in February is free through midnight tonight! See the review here.

Get it on Amazon US.
Get it on Amazon UK.

Enjoy!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

How to Find an Idea

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Well, the weekend is behind us, and we're moving into one heck of a work week. Mine is really full of work coming at me from INDIE Books Gone Wild. Formatting for print is among the top of those to-dos for this week. What fun! But I'd like to take a moment today and talk with you all about creating that next great book. Where do you come up with an idea? Following are some great exercises you can do to get those creative juices flowing. So, grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

By the way, this is part of the class I give over on IBGW for writers. If you're interested, check out the page and then fill out the form. It's a ton of fun and you even get a set of books no writer should be without.

Exercises:

1. You've all heard me go on and on about writing a story based on what you're passionate about. Well, that's exercise one. You can look into the social opinions of others and form your own. This can lead to a great idea for a story. Look at The Hunger Games. What's she writing about, really? Government control of a people and breaking free from tyranny. You can see the author's strong opinions about this issue within the story. She probably thought about a world that could exist at some point and then went on to another exercise, asking what if.
2. Exercise two is all about taking a known situation and asking what if. Read the paper, watch television, or observe people in action all around you and ask that question. Make a list and let it rest for a couple of days. When you return, you'll see it teeming with ideas.
3. Listen to music. Hear the lyrics and think about what the singer is saying. Enter Sandman by Metallica could bring out a great novel, right? Write down some ideas about the situations in the songs. Just make sure your music is related to the genre you prefer to write.
4. For the next one, create a character. Loosely base them on someone you know and then add a splash of yourself to them. After that, you can turn them any way you see fit. Sometimes, a dynamic and original character is all you need. Close your eyes and write down the particulars of the first person that pops into your head. Flesh them out. Give them a journey.
5. Mind map. You remember when I talked about creating blog posts from a mind map? You start with one topic and branch things off from there. By the time you get to the fourth or fifth spoke, you'll have a ton of ideas.

And there's a few ways you can come up with story/plot ideas when you're stuck. I do a couple of these exercises about once a week. Because of that, I have a folder on my laptop with one or two chapters of some really cool ideas. Will all of them ever be published? I doubt it. But some of them will. Either way, my idea is there in word form and I can reference it at any time.

What exercises do you partake in?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo