Brenda Bensch:
What would you do if you were writing your story and one of the characters turned up on your doorstep? Which character would you most want it to be? Would you be glad, sad, or mad to see him/her? What if s/he wouldn’t leave you alone and kept coming back? What’s the first thing you would say when you opened the door? What would s/he be wearing? What would YOU be wearing? Write a scene in which this happens, but imagine it as the opening scene of the book. Rewrite it as a muddled-middle chapter. Rewrite again as the final scene n the book. Now read it aloud to someone —If you’re alone it could even be the teddy bear on your bed, or the person on a poster or magazine cover. Which scene sounded best? Which, if any, could you really use in your book?
Cheryl Whipple Van Eck
I think hands are the true windows to the soul. Think about it. Hands can show emotion, history, lifestyle, age, even overall physique. So next time your character’s eyes “flash” or “roll,” try describing his or her hands instead. What does it do for your story?
And Carol:
Writing Like a Writer
Last night I went to the store in my homeless lady clothes and the cashier was rude to me. And I bought $150 in chia seeds. Cash. But not from her.
Tonight I heard terrible news from a wonderful person.
Today is the first day I haven’t been sick in weeks.
What does this have to do with writing? In less than 24 hours I have felt several different emotions. And so should my characters. When we write, we write our character’s stories. Their truths. Which might not be that far off from our own.
Throwing Up Words 