I didn’t have enough to do, ha ha.
NaNoWriMo wasn’t challenging enough. ←bald-faced lie
So I’ve decided to sign up for Story A Day’s May challenge. Yes, I will write — or, at least, rough out — a story every day in May. They won’t be wonderful, like the ones Damyanti wrote for the A to Z April challenge that resulted in her A to Z Stories of Life and Death book (only 99 cents and WAY cheap at the price!).
People sometimes ask where writers get their ideas. Listen: Getting the ideas is the easy part. Ideas fall like the gentle rain from heav’n upon the place beneath. It’s hooking an idea up with plot, theme, characters, setting, dialog, point of view, language, length, tone, and all the other things that turn an idea into a story that writing is all about.
So I have a big fat folder filled with false starts, snippets remembered from dreams, overheard conversations, random thoughts, and all sorts of “bits”. I plan to reach into that folder and grab a handful of “seeds” and make stories out of them.
Wish me luck! Or, as they say in the movies, “Cover me–I’m goin’ in.”
A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: A character takes on a challenge that may be too much for them. ←(Reflecting my new use of “singular they”.)
MA
Amy Reade
April 18, 2013 at 7:10amGood luck, Marian! It’s the people who have too much to do who can do the most!!
Marian Allen
April 18, 2013 at 9:30amI hope you’re right, Amy! It’ll be exhilarating to try, anyway. 🙂
Jane
April 18, 2013 at 8:48amI am certain your stories will every one be superb. Remember: I’m guessing they can be ANY length, right? 😉 Ok, then, ’nuff said!
Excelsior!
Marian Allen
April 18, 2013 at 9:31amHeh! Right. So I’m figuring 250-500 words, and I can expand anything that intrigues me.
Chris Verstraete
April 18, 2013 at 12:55pmHmm, brave soul you are. Dare I? Well….
Marian Allen
April 18, 2013 at 3:26pmSure you do! It’ll be fun It’ll be fun It’ll be fun It’ll be fun!
Tony Acree
April 18, 2013 at 11:13pmI can at least come up with a character name a day. Perhaps even a witty bit of dialogue (at least what my nine year old twins consider witty)but a story a day? Ye be made of sterner stuff than me ole soul. But I’ll be behind you all the way. Looking over your shoulder.
Marian Allen
April 19, 2013 at 6:41amHe he he! I’m not saying I’ll be able to DO this, but I look forward to the attempt. 🙂
H.L. Pauff
April 19, 2013 at 6:47pmGood luck! I bet you come out of it with some gems
Marian Allen
April 19, 2013 at 6:48pmFrom your mouth to God’s ear! ~grin~
Michael Seese
April 22, 2013 at 6:33amGood luck.
I tried that once, but ran out of steam after about two weeks. But I have a day job and three young kids.
If I may offer a hint, I prompted myself using five words culled from the front page of the day’s newspaper.
Marian Allen
April 22, 2013 at 8:47amThanks, Michael — I’m not sure I’ll last THAT long! ~grin~ That’s a good prompt idea. I’m sort of in practice from doing prompted free writes as writing exercises. I’ll keep that prompt idea. Thanks for the input. 🙂