Tag Archives: character

A whole new design

I’m enjoying writing this blog so much that I’ve decided to get a web designer to help me put it all together so it works really well.  I want to have a section on how to get published, another quickstart set of tips, links to more writers and more thoughts about writing.  Plus, I’d like to do author interviews and photo prompts, alongside all the writer tips for you.

Today, I’m staying in a hotel in the centre of London.  London is my home town, so it’s the first time I’ve ever done this – looked at the city as a tourist might.  It’s been making me think about looking at stories from a new angle.  London is filled with tiny quirky streets, cobbled corners, busy cafes, packed galleries, and loads of pigeons.  As a tourist here, I’m noticing the details – details I often just take for granted as I rush about visiting one friend or the other, or trying to get work done.

How can you look at what you’re writing from a whole new angle?  You don’t have to stay in a fancy hotel in Soho (although, I admit, it’s pretty nice!) but perhaps you can try your story from a different character’s perspective.  Today, I’m looking at London as a tourist, perhaps I could look at London in my imagination through the eyes of one of those gallery goers, or even through the eyes of a pigeon! 

So, take one of you characters and rewrite a scene through their eyes.  What do you learn???

I’ll keep you posted on the new web design.

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Filed under Places for writers, Thinking

Get into character

Here’s an exercise to help you get into your character’s head!

Chose one of the following people and answer the following questions as that character…A prisoner; A monk; A sales person; A compulsive shopper; A person who owns a boat; A jogger

What’s your name?

How old are you now?

What do you look like?

What is your favourite thing to do when no-one else is around?

Tell me a memory from when you were six – how did this change you?

Where do you work?

If you had one week left to live, what would you do?

Tell me a memory from when you were fifteen – how did this change you?

Who do you hate? Why?

Tell me a secret you’ve told no-one.

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Filed under exercises

This site is brand new

When I was a teenager I wanted to be a writer.  But I had no idea how to go about it.  I had never met an author.  I couldn’t believe the words I scribbled down on scraps of paper would one day be turned into actual books.  And I didn’t have a clue how to get my ideas on the page in a way that worked.  Over the last fifteen years (ish), I’ve learned loads of things about being a writer.  I wanted to share with you my thoughts on writing, my insights into character and plot, and some great exercises and writing techniques that will really help you get your own writing off the ground.  I’m still just finishing up getting this site up and running, but soon I’ll post an easy exercise to help you generate new ideas.

For tonight, I’m just going to ask you what you’re reading.  I think reading is essential to good writing.  Lots of what I learned about being a writer I learned through reading great books.  I’m just about to start Arthur Slade’s The Hunchback Assignments.  I’ll let you know what I think (I hear good things about it!)

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Filed under Reading