In which Julie has opinions how creative people should think about organization
Do you struggle to keep records of what you read or write? Do you beat yourself up over it, because you’re sure it’d make your life easier? Maybe yes, maybe no. Let’s dig in to record-keeping for creative people: why it works, why it doesn’t, and what to do about it!
And finally a remainder that know you can support this podcast, if you would like to, which some people have asked me about and to do that, you go to glow.fm/storyaday, and you can make a one-time or recurring donation to keep the show going. And I really appreciate your support. That’s it from me this week. Happy writing. And I’ll see you again soon.
And finally a remainder that know you can support this podcast, if you would like to, which some people have asked me about and to do that, you go to glow.fm/storyaday, and you can make a one-time or recurring donation to keep the show going. And I really appreciate your support. That’s it from me this week. Happy writing. And I’ll see you again soon.
Leave a comment below telling us how you got on last month, and what you plan to do next month, then check back in on the first of each month, to see how everyone’s doing.
(It doesn’t have to be fiction. Feel free to use this group to push you in whatever creative direction you need.)
You did it! Now let’s see if your character has THEIR wish granted…
The Prompt
Grant your character’s deepest wish, today
You’ve done it!
You started this month with the desire to write more, write better, and build your writing practice.
With commitment (and probably some imperfect execution) you’ve arrived here, at Day 31 of StoryADay. That’s a huge accomplishment.
As you write your story today, think about how it feels to get what you wanted.
Of course, reality never quite matches up with how we imagined the perfect outcome (for example, I imagined that this year I wouldn’t crave Sundays ‘off’ from my own challenge. This did not turn out to be true…)
For your character, feel free to use the old fairy-tale caution to be careful what you wish for.
For yourself, however, I’d remind you that achievements begin with two things: a vision of how things could be; and a decision to work towards that better future. You used both to write, this month.
CELEBRATE!
Whether you wrote three stories or 31, you Imaginedyourself as a writer, you Wrote, you Refinedyour practice, you Improved your craft, you Triumphedand, if you’re still reading this, I’m pretty sure you Engaged with the community.
You’re living the I, WRITER life.
If you’d like to keep Repeating this successful pattern, take the next steps with the self-paced I, WRITER Course, available now – a program of writing life and craft workshops that reinforces everything you’ve worked to build here.
Build your writing practice
Develop your craft
Start when you’re ready, go at your own pace
To celebrate the end of StoryADay May, if you join I, WRITER before my birthday on June 13, 2023, I’ll send you an invitation to join one of our Superstars Critique Weeks (valid until March 2024), at no cost (a $147 value).
Tomorrow, I’ll be back in your email inboxes one final time, related to StoryADay May 2023, to send you a self-assessment form, so you can capture what went well and what you will do differently as a result of everything you’ve learned on this journey.
This is one of the most valuable documents you’ll create for yourself and I recommend repeating the practice after every project, in future.
For now, sit back and bask in the your successes as a StoryADay 2023 Winner!
Julie Duffy
In 2010 Julie was a frustrated writer, who decided that writing a StoryADay in May would be a great way to kickstart her writing practice. 13 years later, it seems she was right. The rest of the writing world quickly caught on and now May is known as Short Story Month! Julie is the author of writing handbooks, articles, podcasts, workshops and courses, as well as a short story writer, and ‘Book Boss’.
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
Here’s your final Game Piece (you’re amazing!). Save the image and share on social media with #storyaday
Start your story with the character walking away from a situation (figuratively-speaking) and then explain how they got there.
Things to Consider
Think of TV shows that start with a dramatic scene then jump back to eight hours earlier and show how the characters ended up there – in this case you can tell the rest of the story in chronological order from beginning to the moment we entered the story (Looks at the camera: this is where you came in…)
Another option is to step back through the day moment by moment, unpacking every event and the event before it, in reverse order. This can be very powerful if you take the readers on an emotional rollercoaster
Or you can do some blend of the two.
The great thing about this is that you know where you’re going, all the way through the story because you know the outcome. You know what you have to set up to make the ‘ending’ work. Even if you never use this story form again, it’s a great exercise that you can use to rough out the end of a novel or longer story, any time you get stuck!
Possible opening line templates:
As [character name] [active verb][setting], they [verbed] a [noun]. [Image]. [Transition] e.g. As Joanne fled the crowded pub, she lobbed what remained of her lemonade over her shoulder. With one last look over her shoulder she saw it arc through the air–globules caught in the security lights like fireworks–and spray across the faces of her three meathead pursuers, momentarily slowing them down. She put on a burst of speed. How had it come to this?
[Vivid details about something disastrous]. And to think, just [time period] earlier, everything had been going so well…
or
A [profession] in a [setting] doesn’t usually end up with [unexpected result], [conjunction]
Winners’ Swag
We’re so close! It’s not too soon to order your Winner’s Swag:
In 2010 Julie was a frustrated writer, who decided that writing a StoryADay in May would be a great way to kickstart her writing practice. 13 years later, it seems she was right. The rest of the writing world quickly caught on and now May is known as Short Story Month! Julie is the author of writing handbooks, articles, podcasts, workshops and courses, as well as a short story writer, and ‘Book Boss’.
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
Here’s your final Game Piece (you’re amazing!). Save the image and share on social media with #storyaday
