Did I write my story today? Should you?
The Five Sentence Story | StoryADay 2024 Day 1
You CAN write a story in five sentences. Really!
The Prompt
Tell a story in Five Sentences from an idea you’ve been saving up for when you’re ‘ready’
Things To Consider
I know you’re probably raring to go, ready to write your brilliant, 4,000 New Yorker story that will guarantee your place in the literary pantheon for generations to come…so allow me to reset your expectations just a tad.
This month-long challenge is about reminding yourself that you are a writer, that writing matters to you, and that you can write whenever you want…and that writing is fun! All it takes, to tell a story is five sentences.
Don’t believe me? Try it.
Here’s what you need:
- A character with a desire
- A setting, in time or place
- An obstacle to the character’s desire
- An action taken by the character that brings them closer to or further from that desire
- An outcome. And yes, you can do this in five sentences.
(NB. They can be long sentences, and you don’t have to use one sentence for each item. In the following example, I use one sentence to cover setting, character and desire, and use the spare sentence to fill out the action)
When the casting directors for The Bachelor came to town, Cindy really wanted to give it a go, “Not to get a husband, or anything…Just to have a few laughs, maybe meet some more women my own age…” {SETTING, CHARACTER, DESIRE]
“Don’t be ridiculous,” her step-mother snapped, as she squeezed both of Cindy’s step sisters into too-tight, too-short dresses and screamed at the neighbor’s 13 year old son to come over and cut off the wifi so Cindy wouldn’t be distracted from her chores by shopping for suitable audition outfits online. [OBSTACLE]
As the Uber bearing her family pulled away, Cindy sighed and resigned herself to watching online updates—she was sure she’d be able to find some on Instagram after she had reset the wifi—but before she could do any of that, their neighbor Mrs Pharey appeared at the front door, thrust a blue-silk jumpsuit into her hands and scurried away again, shouting behind her, “Remember to book your Uber home for before the surge pricing kicks in!”
Giggling, Cindy changed into the jumpsuit and sped off to the convention center where she was promptly eliminated in the first round of the auditions. [ACTION]
On the long walk back to the main doors, she struck up a really interesting conversation with Jenny, the show’s story editor who told her she was looking for an apprentice if Cindy was interested, and that she should consider coming back to California with them, which she did, but not before making time to return the blue jumpsuit to Mrs Pharey, because Cindy wanted to start her ‘happily ever after’ on the right foot. [OUTCOME]
Now you try it.
The reasons I’m asking you to use your Big Idea, the one you’ve been saving, is A, to take away some of your magical thinking around it. and B, I want you to always be using your best ideas.
Don’t worry that you’ll run out.
More ideas are coming. Better ideas. More exciting ideas. Ideas better-attuned to the person you are in the moment you sit down to use them.
The more ideas you use the more ideas you generate. Don’t be afraid to use them and (in case that is freaking you out…) You can always use it again later, when whatever you’re waiting for (time? Talent? Magical fairy dust?) comes along.
Artists ‘repurpose’ their own ideas all the time. Don’t worry about it!
In fact, ‘don’t worry about it’, could be our motto this month, so we might as well adopt it here, on Day 1!
Remember, do your best to finish the story today, no matter how messy the middle is. We’re not aiming for perfection, just for completion.
Everything can be fixed in the edit. (Or abandoned. Abandoned is fine, too. You can always write more stories!)
Leave a comment and let us know what you wrote about and how it felt. (As a reminder, I don’t tend to recommend posting your stories in the comments here, except very rarely and here’s why. Treat your writing this month as your own secret pleasure, but do share with us how it’s going.)
Leave a comment and let us know how it went!
Upgrade now to the Online Challenge Handbook
Get the Challenge Handbook, with helper videos, audio and text PLUS daily warm ups and brainstorming exercises designed to jumpstart your writing, daily.
Write with us during May or go at your own pace.
Access immediately. (Will stay online as long as I’m running StoryADay!)
Only $31 during the challenge. Price increases to $97 on June 1, 2024
Here’s your next Game Piece. save the image and share on social media with #storyaday
Prefer paper crafts? Here’s the cut & paste version
Efficient Writing Warm Ups
In which I talk about the dangers of free-writing, morning pages, and journaling…
Upgrade now to the Online Challenge Handbook
Get the Challenge Handbook, with helper videos, audio and text PLUS daily warm ups and brainstorming exercises designed to jumpstart your writing, daily.
Write with us during May or go at your own pace.
Access immediately. (Will stay online as long as I’m running StoryADay!)
Only $31 during the challenge. Price increases to $97 on June 1, 2024
Just Released: Save Time with the StoryADay Challenge Handbook
Ever have one of those days where you want to write, but get to your desk and…nothing?
Well, I created StoryADay May for you (and me).
And this year I have a fantastic new way for you to gain all the benefits of StoryADay: but spend less time wondering what to write: The StoryADay Challenge Handbook.
With daily warm-ups and brainstorming sessions, this new StoryADay experience will propel you into your writing day and let you get to the fun stuff (the writing) no matter how busy you are.
Whether you’re planning to write a StoryADay in May or just want to be able to show up at your desk any day, write, and walk away feeling like you’ve flexed your writing muscles, improved your grasp on the craft, and created something real.
I built the StoryADay Challenge Handbook so you can get more out of this year’s writing prompts, in May…or any time you want to write.
(And this one is specially designed for the introverted writers who aren’t interested in writing sprints or hangouts or really anything other than getting words on the page and growing their skills.)
I’ve taken everything I’ve learned over the past 15 years about short stories, writing, writers, and prompts, and put it together in this brand-new offering. I think you’re going to love it (and the special 15th Anniversary discount….it’s like nothing you’ve seen from me since 2018!).
If you’re longing to get to your desk more often, and feel more fulfilled when you walk away, check out the brand-new StoryADay Challenge Handbook
Keep writing,
Julie
P. S. Yes, the writing prompts will still be coming to your inbox for free, if you’ve signed up. The Handbook adds video, audio, an ebook collection, and daily warm ups and brainstorming exercises designed to propel you into your writing, whether you’re taking the StoryADay May Challenge, or simply want to use it throughout the year to jumpstart your writing day. Grab your copy now
Are you a naturally talented writer?
in which you get to hear me sing!
I thought I was a naturally talented musician.
Turns out there was more to it than that…
Daily Writing is…Easier?
I know I say you should set your own rules for StoryADay, but the truth is, committing to writing daily, can be…easier. Here’s why…
StoryADay Q&A
Q. Are you ready for StoryADay May?
A. You don’t have to be ready. Just make sure you’re on the list to receive the daily prompts, decide how many days you want to write, and show up.
(A.2. You may want to warn the people you live with you’ll be writing more and vegging on the sofa less in May. You may want to finish up editing that other project you have on the go, to clear your brain for new ideas…but these are optional extras. Really, just have to show up!)
What are YOU doing to get ‘ready for StoryADay May’. Leave a comment (and the answer ‘nothing at all’ is a valid answer!)
Keep writing,
Julie
P. S. Me? I’m neck-deep in writing prompts and soooo excited to show you what I’ve been up to. I have a new way for you to interact with the challenge this year and I think you’re going to love it. Details soon…
Mastering Flash Fiction – with Windy Lynn Harris
In which Windy Lynn Harris shares her genius about how and why to write Flash Fiction
1:16 Flash art comes organically when being open.
6:58 Flash fiction: creative, short, under 500 words.
12:28 Be specific in short flash fiction writing.
13:05 Editing is essential for shorter pieces.
17:37 Essential aspect of storytelling, representing a moment.
19:32 Facing fear, mystery, and self-discovery.
23:27 Enjoy working on soliloquies and rants in writing.
26:56 Background, training influence the form of writing.
29:13 Accessing your authentic voice is essential.
33:08 Writers adapting to shorter work during pandemic.
36:51 Creativity can flourish without lofty goals.
41:05 Distraction in the world, set timer, create.
43:12 First book on writing short stories.
46:12 Strategic shorts can boost writing career prospects.
49:43 Writing needs community for support, progress, success.
54:27 Exciting prompts for daily creative writing in May.
Other Ways To Increase Your Joy Around Writing
Download the Short Story Framework:
Take the 3-Day Challenge
Sign up for the StoryAWeek Newsletter
Take the I, WRITER Course
Join the Superstars Group
https://storyaday.org/superstars
Coaching with Julie
Sign up for StoryADay May 2024:
Shake Up Your Writing
In which I tell you the rules for StoryADay May 2024
ntrigued by the StoryADay Challenge but intimidated? Don’t be! In this episode I explain all the rules including the most important rule: Make Your Own Rules!
Sign up at https://storyaday.org/signup
00:00 History of the StoryADay Challenge
01:30 4. Give Yourself Permission To Have Fun
06:14 StoryADay May Rules
06:31 1. Make Your Own Rules
11:20 2. Don’t Try To Catch Up
12:12 3. Don’t Post Your Stories Online (Or Do)
13:30 4. Give Yourself Permission To Have Fun
14:47 5. Seek Out The Right Support At The Right Time
17:11 6. Dance Your Victory Dance, Every Day
19:56 7. Use the Prompts (Or Don’t)
21:43 Summary of the “Rules”
22:52 How To Sign Up
23:03 What To Expect from This Year’s Prompts
28:22 The importance of Community
Other Ways To Increase Your Joy Around Writing
Download the Short Story Framework:
Take the 3-Day Challenge
Sign up for the StoryAWeek Newsletter
Take the I, WRITER Course
Join the Superstars Group
https://storyaday.org/superstars
Coaching with Julie
Don’t Let Unfinished Stories Hold You Back: Try This Technique
Do you ever start a story only to get stuck, and find yourself either abandoning it or wondering if it’s really a story at all? First of all: welcome. This means you are a writer. This frustrating phenomenon strikes us all, especially when we are just starting out or just starting to come back to our writing seriously. This doesn’t mean you “aren’t meant to be a writer”. It just means there are some strategies you haven’t discovered–or fully-integrated–yet. This week I have a technique for…
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Do you ever start a story only to get stuck, and find yourself either abandoning it or wondering if it’s really a story at all? First of all: welcome. This means you are a writer. This frustrating phenomenon strikes us all, especially when we are just starting out or just starting to come back to our writing seriously. This doesn’t mean you “aren’t meant to be a writer”. It just means there are some strategies you haven’t discovered–or fully-integrated–yet. This week I have a technique for you, that will help you turn fragments, vignettes, and “I’m not really sure what this is”-se into actual stories. Go to the lesson >>> Try out the technique, using the writing prompt I provide, to feel te difference it makes to your Story Sparks. Then leave a comment to share what you learned. I can’t wait to hear from you! Keep writing, Julie P. S. If you want more of the nitty-gritty, ‘how to craft a story’ techniques like this, consider taking the 3-Day Challenge, which guides you through the art of writing great openings, middles, and ends, all in easy-to-consume lessons. |
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Sign up for the I, WRITER Course today and build a writing practice you can love today, not ‘some day’.
LEAP DAY SPECIAL $229 (regularly $497) or 54% off! https://stada.me/leapday
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What We Crave
“In a digital world saturated with technicolor brilliance and filtered, unobtainable beauty, modern humans seem unmoored and at sea. We crave stories to tell us who we are.” – Min Jin Lee, Best American Short Stories 2023
When I first logged on to the Internet in 1993, I was thrilled by the possibilities of connection.
When, some time later, I clicked on my first hyperlink (on a page that gloried under the catchy address of something like “74.6.143.25”) I distinctly remember thinking,
“This is exactly how I want life to operate,”
and, at the same time,
“I am in sooooo much trouble.”
Picture me, hunched in front of a mushroom-colored 14-inch monitor, clicking and reading, and clicking and reading, and leaping down the rabbit hole
We Were Warned
That first hyperlink was the start of something that changed the world and I was there for it.
But it turns out I was Mickey Mouse in the Sorcerer’s hat, summoning a wave I couldn’t control.
I was the old woman with the magic porridge pot.
I was King Midas.
We all were.
- The Sorcerer’s Apprentice thought he wanted power. What he really needed was control.
- The old woman with the magic porridge pot thought she wanted an endless supply of food. What she needed was ‘enough’.
- We thought we wanted endless facts, exposure to more people, more ideas. What we need is the wisdom that comes from enough knowledge.
The stories tried to warn us.
Writers Have A Head Start
Yes, we get distracted by the glossy online world sometimes, but writers really do have a huge advantage over other mortals.
We go out of our way to make time to create worlds and characters who wrestle with big human questions:
- What if I break the rules, just this once?
- What if I had everything I ever lacked?
- What if they won’t love me?
- What’s beyond the fence at the end of the garden?
Believe it or not, most people are rushing through their days NOT staring into space and thinking about these things.
But when they do have time to unwind, they all want to do it with stories: in books, on screens, in song.
Because stories — not facts, not reels, not personality quizzes — tell us who we are.
Your Turn
Make some time for your writing in the next three days.
Use this prompt if you need a nudge.
And please believe me when I say
“You are a writer. Stories are what make us human. Stories keep us safe. Stories show us how to be human. Stories are the way we learn. No matter how ‘big’ or ‘small’ your stories and your subject matter, your stories matter.”
What’s your biggest distraction from your writing? How did you last conquer it. Leave a comment!
Shake Up Your Writing
In which I get excited about a project again…
In this on-the-road episode, I come to you fresh from a conference, full of new energy and ideas, and I encourage you to find ways to shake up YOUR practice.
LINKS
Other Ways To Increase Your Joy Around Writing
Download the Short Story Framework:
Take the 3-Day Challenge
Sign up for the StoryAWeek Newsletter
Take the I, WRITER Course
Join the Superstars Group
https://storyaday.org/superstars
Coaching with Julie
The Art of Improving (with groundhogs)
In which I give you a writing prompt and talk about the perils of success beyond your wildest hopes
What do groundhogs have to do with getting better at skills? So much. Listen…
LINKS: Friday Freebie
Other Ways To Increase Your Joy Around Writing
Download the Short Story Framework:
Take the 3-Day Challenge
Sign up for the StoryAWeek Newsletter
Take the I, WRITER Course
Join the Superstars Group
https://storyaday.org/superstars
Coaching with Julie
Day 5 – Put It Into Practice
Ready to put a ring on it?
Make it work, long-term
Today’s task is to make a plan to make it stick.
You’re inspired (and inspiring!), but will you still be working towards unleashing your awesomeness into the world, two weeks from now?
In a moment, I’ll offer you one way you could build your practice and skills (in the StoryADay I, WRITER Course), but before that, let’s talk about one more principle that will strengthen your practice.
The Question To Ask, Every Time Your Approach Your Desk
I first heard this question from high-performance athletic coach Kevin Willis, but it made so much sense to me that I knew it would apply to a writing practice, too.
(Big surprise, huh? Athletes and writers are both humans, trying to change their behavior and achieve extraordinary things.)
When you sit down to play with your words, ask yourself if, today, you are trying to
-
- Be Good or
-
- Get Better?
If you’re focused on ‘be good’, you’re comparing yourself to others.
There’s a time for this– when you’re sending work out into the world– but it’s not where every day should start.
You can’t compare your first drafts to William Faulkner’’s published works!
If you’re focused on ‘getting better’, you are comparing yourself to your own best, to your yesterday, your skills and output last year…
This is a much more helpful place to be, as you approach your desk.
If you’re feeling stuck, unable to make progress, as yourself “Am I trying to be good, or get better?’
How To Make Progress, Long-Term
As you take your manifesto into your world, making today’s excitement last is going to require
-
- A plan of study
-
- A commitment to come back, week after week, no matter what lies your emotions tell you
-
- Support from other writers
And you can absolutely build that, by yourself.
Or…you can take advantage of the structure, lesson plan, and community I’ve put together in the upcoming StoryADay I, WRITER Course.
(Did you like that segue? I know you see what I did there)
Seriously, though, you do not have to do this by yourself.
In fact, if you’re anything like me, with the best will in the world, you CAN’T do this by yourself.
And maybe, like me, you’re getting sick of repeatedly doing that experiment.
It’s time to try something new.
The I, WRITER Course
The StoryADay I, WRITER Course is your chance to spend 6 weeks, going through lessons (like the work you’ve done in this challenge) and workshops that let you build your writing skills in around 90 minutes a week.
You’ll get 2 writing assignments each week (do one, or both) so that you can practice what you’re learning AND build your writing practice week after week, until it feels natural to be making time for your writing and for getting better.
And it’s all broken out into different areas of study (Imagine, Write, Refine, Improve, Triumph, Engage and Repeat) so you never feel overwhelmed.
Everything is shared in video, written and audio form and broken down into convenient bite-sized chunks (kind of like this challenge!) so you can work on each week’s content whether you have a block of 90 minutes or a few minutes on your lunch break.
You can read all about it here.
Bonuses
It’s one thing to sign up for a course, quite another to actually DO the course.
So I’ll email you every week to introduce the topics for the week and remind you to log in and check out the new materials.
PLUS I’m gifting you the StoryADay Challenge PLUS, 31 days of writing prompts and inspirational videos that I created for my StoryADay Superstars group. It’s the best of the prompts and advice that I can give, and it leads you through 31 days of short story writing.
Originally priced at $297, I’m opening it up to you as part of this round of I, WRITER.
Don’t Wait Any Longer
Imagine making your writing stick, this time.
Imagine seeing the pride in the face of your friend who always believed in your talent, when you tell them “I’m writing”.
Imagine hearing friends and relatives casually talk about ‘my Nana/buddy, the writer’.
That’s a gift, not just to you, but to them.
It needs more creative people.
And you? You need – you deserve – to be able to lift your head from the daily grind and be the person you know you’re meant to be…even for a few minutes a day.
The I, WRITER Course gives you a structure and an excuse, to do that over the next 6 weeks.
I’ve seen people come out the other end of this course with writing firmly anchored in their life. And with this certain knowledge that if they show up, the writing comes.
When they do, they keep getting better and they keep getting happier.
And they keep living up to their own expectations of themselves and the expectations of the people who love them.
I don’t want you to wait. I want you to start acting on the amazing manifestos that I’ve seen in this challenge.
I think it’s time that we step up and be courageous and put all of this good out into the world.
I hope you’ll join me in the course.
And keep writing,
P. S. What’s your plan for putting your manifesto into practice. If you don’t have one, borrow mine and join I, WRITER
Day 4 – Let’s Make It Real
Ready to put a ring on it?
Welcome back!
It’s no small thing that you’re still here, still working towards creating a powerful tool to support your writing practice…and I salute you!
Over the past few days you have
- Identified your Fairy Art Parents, the people in creative lives who inspire you. You have noted down what it is about their art and the way they live, their artistic lives that really inspires and moves you.
- You’ve noted the commonalities that crop up among all the people and works that you really admire.
- And you have taken the step of writing your manifesto
This manifesto may scare you a little bit, because it’s deeply connected to your values and the things that make you most uniquely you.
You don’t have to live up to this every minute of every day. It’s a guide. It’s guardrails, for when things start to go wrong. A reminder of where you want to be going.
Today’s Task
When your version of the doucment
- Is a little bit frightening, or a little bit exciting,
- Makes you a little bit surprised at yourself,
- Feels a little ambitious.
Then go ahead and sign it.
And date it.
Keep a copy of it (printed or digitally) somewhere you can see it, every day.
A Living Document
This version will serve you for a while.
I’m encouraging you to date it because you may want to come back to this exercise in the future and see how things have changed.
(Probably your values wno’t have changed but you might have more fairy art parents, and a deeper understand of yourself as a writer).
Every time you sit down to write a new work, every time you pitch a new idea, every time you continue a piece that you’ve been writing before, take a quick look at your manifesto. And remained yourself of what you are trying to achieve.
- Not what someone else thinks you should be doing.
- Not how someone else thinks you should be doing it.
- What you are trying to achieve.
Not just today. But in your writing life as a whole.
Use the manifesto. Every time you sit down to work.
What’s Next?
So now you have your writer’s manifesto. I want you to come back tomorrow so that we can talk more about exactly how you can use this document. To help you. write more, write better, never work on ideas that don’t matter to you or in a way that doesn’t resonate with you.
So come back tomorrow and we’ll talk about that and we’ll really start to put this into practice in your creative life.
How do you feel about the document you have created? What surprised you about this process? Leave a comment:
Day 3 – What Matters To You?
It’s time to write it down!
Welcome back to this five day challenge.
Over the past couple of days (Day 1 | Day 2), we’ve taken some time to look at your role models in your artistic life, your fairy art parents.
You’ve identified who they are and what you admire about them, and analyzed the commonalities among them.
Today, we start putting together your Writing Manifesto, based on what you’ve learned. This is a guiding document for you as you work on play in your creative space.
And it works from project to project, from scene to scene. (Sometimes I get stuck on a scene and I can’t figure out why I can’t go forward and I realize it’s because it’s not following any of the principles that I’ve set down for myself as an artist.
Working on projects that matter, in a way that aligns with your values and inspiration, makes makes finding your voice so much easier.
It makes everything better.
So let’s get started. Are you ready?
STEP 1
Look at all of the notes you’ve made over the past couple of days about qualities in your fairy art parents that resonate most deeply with you.
(They resonate with you because they matter to you too. And once you’ve got that, I want you to write the words. In my.)
Step 2:
Write
“In my creative life I will be…”
…then list the things that matter to you.
My Example
In my work and my life I will be OPENHEARTED, OPTIMISTIC, always looking for the HUMOR, even when it is dark. SKEPTICAL, but not cynical.
FORGIVING of my work’s flaws.
PROLIFIC and POSITIVE and always producing the next thing.
Committed to the CRAFT (read lots, analyze and share, put into practice).
Committed to the COMMUNITY (past, present and future. Part of a lineage.)
UPLIFTING (this doesn’t mean Pollyanna-is. Remember my mentors.)
A BELIEVER that ART MATTERS.
I create worlds I want to live in, and inspire others to do the same (not just on the page).
Julie Duffy
(Watch the video above at the 02:10 mark, for my explanation of how I came up with this)
A Writer’s Manifesto means that, with every project, you can if something’s not working, you can look and see where it’s not aligning with your values, where it’s not aligning with your strategy for your writing life.
The Decision Filter
Mine has become a decision filter for everything I do in my writing.
It’s easier for me to ignore the shiny objects that pop up, and the temptation to think I need something new to work on. One look at my manifesto and I realize maybe I need to make THIS project work the way I want to work!
I was really surprised by the clarity it brought me…and lots of other writers have told me the asme thing.
Write Your Manifesto Now
This part is going to take a little more time than what you did on the first couple of days of this challenge. And that’s okay.
Don’t work on it for hours, just 15 minutes or so.
Write down some of these things for yourself and to start creating that document in my writing life,
- I will…
- I will be…
- I will not…
- I will not be…
it’s not about writing out plans like “I will have a writing contract by the end of the year”. It’s about your approach.
Mine were about being upbeat and optimistic. Yours might be about being sincere and unafraid to write a sad ending.
Really dig for what’s important to you.
When you do, you’ll write the work that only you can write.
The work that people are craving.
You will have the voice that is unique to you.
That is going to make everything that you write better.
Focus on your words.
Sit with it, overnight.
Come back tomorrow, to find out what’s next.
Keep writing,
Leave a comment: how did it feel to record your creative values where you can see them?
Day 2 – Let’s Get Together
Day 2! Keep up the good work!
We’re back for day two of this five day challenge, which is going to get you on a path to understanding
- who you are as a writer, and to
- keep you on that path.
Anytime you get stuck, anytime you find yourself not making progress, you can come back to the document you are creating this week.
It’s more effective than any other productivity hack like making appointments with yourself or setting deadlines and word count goals.
Those things can all help for awhile. But what matters is the story under the story:
Who are you as a writer, and what is the story you’re telling yourself?
Yesterday, you identified people you admire as creatives and wrote down what you admired.
I encourage you to think about these people as your Fairy Art Parents. These are the people who are guiding the way for you. These are the people you want to be like, but in your own way
Find The Common Threads
Today, I want you to look through that list and find the commonalities between them.
For example, for me, I quickly realized that optimism, humor and open-heartedness were something that all of my people that I admired had in common.
It wasn’t about winning awards or being famous. It was their approach to life and creativity. That was what they had in common that I admired.
So those things belong on my list of what matters to me about writing.
I realized that my fairy art parents also had in common, a commitment to the craft and to turning out work.
I also saw a strong sense among all of my fairy art parents, that art matters. Art is life changing. Art is important. They really felt that creative work can change the world, and I realized that’s something I really believe too.
Your Turn
Go through your fairy art parents and the list of things that you wrote down that you admired about them. Look for those commonalities, circle them, write them out in a separate list. Do whatever makes sense to you to highlight those things…
And then just ponder that for the rest of the day and you’ve completed today’s part of the challenge.
Tomorrow, we’re going to come back. And put all this stuff together. In a way that is going to help you figure out your. Writing Manifesto, your values, and the things that will keep you on the track.
But don’t worry about that yet.
Leave a comment to let us know what you found in common among your Fairy Art Parents.
And I’ll see you back here tomorrow.
Keep writing,
Day 1 – Your Fairy Art Parents
It’s Day 1! Let’s get started!
After we finish these five days, you will have a really strong sense of why you’re writing.
- What you SHOULD be writing.
- What your SHOULDN’T be writing.
- WHO your role models and mentors are
- How to stay on track and truly BELIEVE that you are a writer and you should be doing this work.
Over the next 5 days we’re going to create your ‘Writer’s Manifesto’, a document that will help you understand why writing matters to you and what you want to bring into the world, through you creativity.
It acts as a decision-filter for the way you work on every scene, every story, every piece.
Two Examples
When I was procrastinating on revisions to a story, I wasn’t sure what was wrong. Then I looked at my Writer’s Manifesto and realized that the cynical little story I had drafted didn’t match my goals for me, as a writer and human.
That realization freed me to let that draft go, and work on something better…which came much more easily.
Likewise, in trying to write a scene in my novel, it kept trending to a tone that didn’t match what I had written as my aspirations for my work. Remembering that allowed me to find a better tone for the scene, which then flowed better, because I believed in it more.
STEP 1 OF YOUR MANIFESTO
We start by figuring out who we admire, as creative — who are our ‘Fairy Art Parents’…
TASK
Write a list of creative people you admire and what attracts you to them.
Don’t spend too long on this.
For example, I wrote:
Amanda Palmer. For her commitment to making the art that only she can make and for finding ways to get paid for it. outwith traditional structures. And for her commitment to openness.
Mary Robinette Kowal science fiction, fantasy author, whose pursuit of the craft of writing and storytelling is detailed and, logical. For her willingness to share that with others and to keep on turning out her own work and building an audience at the same time.
Nick Stevenson for what I call his calculated openheartedness, the way that he communicates with his readers.
Kim Stanley Robinson for his unique style and optimism.
Neil Gaiman for the same things, and for the literary family tree that he grew out of.
Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams for their quirky style, their humor, their big ideas and for the fact that what I get from them. I can only get from them.
WRITE YOUR LIST
- So write down your list of people who inspire you, writers, artists, creative types.
- And then write down what it is that each of those people. What you admire about them and the way that they do business.
Today’s is a tiny task, but it lays the foundation for the really important process that we’re going through this week.
We’ll be back tomorrow to take the next step with this list that you’re making today.
Who did you pick as your Fairy Art Parents. Leave a comment and let us know!
Keep writing,
P. S. Have a friend who should be going through this challenge with you? Send them a link to sign up at storyaday.org/jan-challenge
Fiction Matters
In which I try to persuade you not to persuade anyone this way…
In which I talk about Mary Oliver and the power of words to lift us out of the everyday.
I also invite you to take part in the January Challenge, a five-day exercise that will make you more decisive around your fiction and every aspect of your writing life.
Sign up here: https://storyaday.org/jan-challenge
Transcript
Good morning. Good evening. Good afternoon, Julie from story a day here.
I’m going to be inviting you today to join me next week in a free mini challenge that’s going to set you up for the year ahead for the life ahead. And it’s, it’s a challenge that helps you get back in the groove with your writing helps you stay on track.
I’ll send you five tiny little lessons over the week and you’ll build a tool that will help you in your writing everyday.
Sign up right now and, and we’ll go from there.
Fiction Matters
But I wanted to. Read you something today that I wrote, this week. In case you are wavering in your commitment to your fiction, in your courage around your fiction, in case the world is beating you down and telling you that fiction doesn’t matter and you should be doing more important things.
I don’t think there’s much more. Important work than
stimulating peoples imaginations, giving them hope. Giving them a respite from the world. So here’s what I wrote one morning this week.
When it seems. Like everything in the world is terrible. How can I possibly justify writing about. Or playing with my imaginary friends. When there’s so much news to catch up on to care about. So many causes to champion. Persecuted groups to try and save. How can I possibly find the time and energy for creative acts?
It’s a real question.
But we creative people must be courageous enough to try.
Because we can write beautiful, inspiring. Terrifying. Hopeful things. That lift people out of their everyday experiences and show them how they are part of something bigger than themselves. Not everyone can do this. But you can.
This morning, I read an essay by the poet, Mary Oliver. In which she talked about Walt Whitman as if he really was her friend although I don’t think they ever met. She only met him on the page. She took him everywhere with her and he lifted her when times were difficult.
And I thought about all the times and places where I’ve heard Mary Oliver’s poems quoted, on social media, at business conferences. Poetry is possibly the most exalted and derided. Form of writing that there is: how are you ever going to make money from poetry? Nobody makes money from poetry.
And yet poetry reaches us in a way that sermons and lectures and essays can’t do.
I thought about the pause, the hush in the room, the sense of respite that her words provide.
In March of 2020, what did everyone reach for, to lift themselves out of the fear and uncertainty that the news was dishing up to us? Art. Stories. Stories made up by writers. Stories brought to life by actors. Stories sung by musicians. Wordless music shared from makeshift kitchen stages.
Humans can be rational creatures, but we don’t thrive on logic alone. So today, please, step away from the real world and create something true. Something that reminds me, that takes me into a moment of being human that I couldn’t experience otherwise.
Tell me about the sunrise over Martian mountains, or the houses where you live.
Show me a morning glory flower, unfurling.
Give me a moment of true connection between two characters when one finally learns the care, or terrify me as another character stands to lose everything that matters to them.
The world can overwhelm us and the only way to cope is to avoid or to shut down our feelings. So please write something that reminds me to feel. Remains me to fear. Reminds me to hope. Reminds me to love.
I realize the irony of delivering a kind of persuasive essay and then telling you that fiction is a much better way to persuade anyone of anything. And yet I’m doing it.
I think your teachers misled you. I don’t think persuasive essays should be called that they should be called. Informative essays. Because they don’t change hearts. Emotion persuades. And there is no better way to convey emotion, even though I’m doing it in an essay, than through the arts.
There’s no easier way to create empathy for others than by making me care for your characters.
So no, writing fiction is not an irresponsible use of your time, during difficult teams or any other times in the world.
It is necessary. It’s generous. It’s healing.
It’s a gift.
Thank you for writing.
Other Ways To Increase Your Joy Around Writing
Download the Short Story Framework:
Take the 3-Day Challenge
Sign up for the StoryAWeek Newsletter
Take the I, WRITER Course
Join the Superstars Group
https://storyaday.org/superstars
Coaching with Julie
When Writing Feels Hard…
In which I’ve got blisters on my fingers…
In this episode I discuss the concept of discomfort in the journey of pursuing creative endeavors and explore the different types of discomfort, such as striving to reach one’s ambitions versus worrying about not having what it takes. I encourage listeners to embrace discomfort as a sign of growth and progress, and suggest a solid-gold way to make that less grim. I also invite you to the Story A Day Superstars, a supportive community for writers, and announce upcoming writing challenges and courses. Plus: a writing tip about making characters sound more realistic.
0:00 StADa133 When Writing Feels Hard
00:31 On Discomfort
13:02 StoryADay Support
14:37 My Annual Theme
16:11 Writing Tip on Character Voice
LINKS:
StoryADay Superstars: https://storyaday.org/superstars
Other Ways To Increase Your Joy Around Writing
Download the Short Story Framework:
Take the 3-Day Challenge
Sign up for the StoryAWeek Newsletter
Take the I, WRITER Course
Join the Superstars Group
https://storyaday.org/superstars
Coaching with Julie
Nope, Writing Is Never Going To Get Easier
(…not if you’re doing it right. Sorry!)
I regularly talk to writers who confess to me that they’re not sure they’re ‘meant to be a writer’ because they find it hard.
So, should they quit?
So Wrong For So Long
When I started taking my physical health seriously (ahem, in my 40s) I found out that I had completely misunderstood what ‘getting fit’ meant.
I had always thought that, with enough practice, exercise was supposed to get easier. When it didn’t, I got discouraged and quit. Over and over again.
Eventually I started working with a trainer whereupon it dawned on me (at an embarrassingly glacial pace) that this was never going to be easy…and that was the point.
As I got stronger, my trainer would fist-bumped me…and then increase the weights.
Some training days are easier than others, but if I’m doing it right, they’re always a bit hard…and weirdly rewarding.
And occasionally, I pick up one of the ‘baby weights’ I started with, and marvel at how far I’ve come.
What It Looks Like To “Do Your Best”
Being a writer means always wanting to do your best.
And that is hard.
It’s always going to be hard because, every day, your ‘best’ exists at the limit of your abilities.
Some days may feel easier than other days. But mostly, if you’re doing the best you can on that day, it’ll be a bit hard.
And weirdly rewarding.
And when, occasionally, you look back and see how far you’ve come from those first ‘baby stories’ you wrote, it will be marvelous.
Keep writing,
Julie
P. S. And don’t forget that, as with physical training, sometimes the best thing you can do is to take an intentional ‘rest and recharge’ day…
Through A Portal…
A writing prompt from the archives, to prove that originality is not something you should worry about!
…to the archives
When I talk to new writers they are often concerned that their ideas aren’t ‘original enough’.
Of course, the more we write and the more we hang out with other writers, the more obvious it becomes that originality comes from you, not from the idea.
Ideas are everywhere.
Nobody will ever treat an idea in exactly the same way you will, so you can stop worrying about ‘being original’ right now. You ARE original. You can’t help it.
And to prove that, I’m sending you to a popular guest writing prompt from 2020, from author, podcaster and puppeteer, Mary Robinette Kowal.
So far, this prompt has sparked two very different stories that have been published and a whole novel that is still in progress…and those are just the ones I’ve heard about.
What can you do with this prompt, this week?
Keep writing
Julie
P. S. If you’d like more in-depth writing prompts, weekly, complete with a writing lesson and a jolt of inspiration from me, consider the StoryAWeek newsletter
The Tiniest Thing You Can Do For Your Writing
How can you take advantage of the New Year energy without becoming overwhelmed? Read on…
Happy New Year!
If you set some writing goals for this year, why not take advantage of that New Year energy and figure out:
What’s the tiniest thing you can do, today, to support your image of yourself as the kind of person who take your writing seriously?
Could you:
- Read a story you wrote last year and find a sentence you enjoyed?
- Capture three story sparks today?
- Write in your journal about why you love to write?
- Read a story someone else wrote?
- Write a sentence, a paragraph or a scene?
- Put some time on your calendar to write, next week?
Pick something tiny and do it for yourself today, with joy.
Keep writing,
Julie
P. S. My Superstars group hosted a writing sprint at 8:30 this morning. (I slept through it. That was NOT the tiniest writing success I could manage today…),but it was a GREAT way to start a new year and a new day. We’ll be doing it again tomorrow. Join us?
What Are You Turning Towards, this New Year?
In which I, rather unexpectedly, talk about dog training…
Are you setting goals for outcomes or simply turning towards your writing more?
Here are some ways I can help
Download the Short Story Framework:
Take the 3-Day Challenge
Sign up for the StoryAWeek Newsletter
Take the I, WRITER Course
Join the Superstars Group
https://storyaday.org/superstars
Coaching with Julie
CHAPTERS
[00:00:00] Intro
[00:00:32] Where Are You Headed?
[00:03:16] Turning Towards Your Writing, Consistently
[00:05:12] Goals or GPS?
[00:06:26] More Successes
[00:12:02] No More Negative Voices
[00:13:54] Ways To Get Support from StoryADaym
[00:14:25] Short Story Framework
[00:14:35] The 3-Day Challenge
[00:15:51] StoryAWeek Newsletter
[00:18:50] I, WRITER Course
[00:19:39] January 5-Day Challenge
[00:20:18] StoryADay Superstars
[00:21:51] Coaching
[00:23:19] Wrap up
The Enduring Benefits of a Coach
A young man sat at a piano, his fingers easily traveling over the keys…until a grumpy old guy with a vaguely Eastern-European accent, batted the younger man’s hand away.
“You have to breathe after this phrase, to bring life into the music.”
I was astounded.
The old guy was correcting the piano playing of Jon Battiste, who had recently been nominated for 11 Grammys and who is one of the country’s most beloved musicians.
And yet, Battiste listened to his old teacher, breathed, and nodded appreciatively as he heard the change in his playing.
Everyone benefits from expert coaching, no matter whether they are starting out, or scaling the heights.
If you want to make progress in your writing, faster, and with fewer wrong turns, it’s worth asking yourself if it’s time to get someone in your corner.
My superpower is that I can really hear what writers need, and what they may not be able to hear themselves say.
Your gift is your writing. What are you letting get in the way of that?
If you already like my style, and know you’re ready to commit to your writing, watch this video and then let me know you’d like to talk.
Keep writing,
Julie
P. S. Where do you want to be this time next year? And what are you going to do, to ensure you get there? Let’s talk…
2023 Triumphs
In this episode I talk about some of the publishing successes StoryADay Superstars have achieved this year, and invite you to share your own. Also, a special invitation for you, if you’re ready…
in this week’s episode I’m celebrating the successes of writers from the StoryADay Community, and our Superstars Group. Some of those successes are publication-related and others are more about the progress of the writers’ practice. Join us. I also extend an invitation to join our Superstar group in the coming year.
LINKS
Join Superstars
WATCH NOW (with subtitles)
Superstars Triumphs
Publications:
The Mothership, The Rumpus, Maery Rose
Elixir – Laura Porter
Bikes In Space Anthology – Monique Cuillerier
Sad Goose Collective Issue 2 – Astrid Eggar
Blink-Ink Issue 51 – Astrid Eggar
A Boat, a Bike, and a Balloon (Or What It Takes to Return a Stolen Sun), Bikes In Space Anthology – Marta Pelrine-Bacon
Bones In The Road, Pilgrimage Magazine – Peyton Ellas
Naming The Dead, Heartwood Literary Press – Walter Lawn
The Unguarded Moment , Active Muse – Astrid Eggar
Death Chips & Love Fries – Short Stories for City Lovers – Neha Mediratta
Make A Wish, Fiddlehead Folio – Robin Stein
From Nothing, Rise – Monique Cuillerier
Fixing The Books, a novel – Fallon Brown
The Garage Fridge Situation, a novel – Fallon Brown
The Warrior Defying Time And Space, Short Fiction Break Reader’s Choice Award – Neha Mediratta
The Painter Must Be Going Nowhere, Wingword Poetry Prize, longlisted – Neha Mediratta
Honorable Mention in NYC Midnight Short Story Contest – Kim Younkin
300 Episodes Later…
In which I share what’s been going on and what’s coming up at StoryADay AND talk about AI and you.
In this episode I explain where the podcast has been for the past few week, talk about the workshops I’ve been running and talk about what’s coming next for StoryADay, AND encourage you to understand the value of the work you’re doing.
00:00 Introduction and Podcast Updates
00:10 Creating Content and Workshops
02:08 Exploring the Use of AI in Writing
04:56 AI for Organizational Structures and Marketing
11:21 Reflections on Recent Events and Future Plans
11:40 StoryADay Superstars Group and Annual Planning Bundle
15:48 The Pressure of Milestones and Overcoming Blocks
20:19 The Importance of Writing and Encouragement
24:15 Conclusion and Future Podcast Plans
LINKS:
Holiday Stories Workshop 50% discount
Would you like the AI workshop?
What do you love/like/want in the podcast
Your stories from 15 years of StoryADay
WATCH NOW (with subtitles)
Who Do You Talk To About Writing?
When my fellow writer—let’s call her Amanda—popped onto my Zoom screen, she was hunched in her chair, listless, and slightly cynical.
For months, she’d been trying to work on her novel.
She knew what she had to do.
She knew the scene she wanted to work on.
She had a writer friend she checked in with weekly…and still she was spending her writing time checking email and looking at social media and feeling the self-loathing grow like a thorny hedge, choking out her creativity.
The Heart of the Problem
As we started to talk it became clear to me that the problem wasn’t with her work ethic (she’s worked as a writer for decades) or her identity (“writer” is central to her identity and she has no problem saying it out loud).
The problem was technical: she didn’t know enough about the structure of the story she wanted to tell; about reader expectations; about how to arrange her beautiful writing into a compelling, novel-length story.
And that is a problem that can be fixed.
But it’s hard to fix alone at your desk (or alone inside your brain).
As I asked more questions, and Amanda answered, I watched her sit up straighter, lean in towards the camera—she may have even clapped her hands in glee—as the true problem emerged.
What Happened Next
With the problem diagnosed, it was a snap for us to put together a plan of action to tackle it.
She’s ready to write, again.
Better than that, she’s excited to write again.
She was so happy she called me a genius.
Not A Genius
I’m (probably) not a genius.
But I am a coach.
I study and practice storytelling all day long.
And I ask really good questions.
Your Turn
- If you’re stuck on your writing, and you don’t understand why
- If you’re making progress slower than you’d like
- If you don’t know what the next step is, for you
Do you have someone you can talk to about your writing, and who asks excellent questions?
Leave a comment and let me know
Happy People-Watching Season!
During the busy holiday season (when did October-Jan become ‘the holiday season?!) we’re all overwhelmed with inboxes full of holiday greetings, people trying to sell us things, and the inevitable (endless) invitations to social events. (or a feeling of nostalgia for the days when we used to get more invitations…).
This is just a quick love-note from me to encourage you, in case you’re feeling like you’ll never have time to write on your work-in-progress again.
This is actually a great time for writers:
- All those people getting together and interacting in ways they wouldn’t on a normal day? Fuel for your next crowd scene!
- All those smells and tastes and sights that only come around once a year? Grab a notebook and capture the exact words that you can use later to recreate a similar scene in your fictional world (a quick trip to the bathroom can be your friend, here!)
- All the feelings inside you, as you wait anxiously or excitedly for your celebration to begin? Pinpoint where they are happening in your body and how they manifest. Write them down and give them to a character (a great way to go beyond ‘she gasped’ and ‘his eyes widened’!)
Grab your notebook. Stay hydrated. Take breaks (get outside if you can) and try to remember: it’s all material!
Keep writing,
Julie
P. S. StoryADay’s 15th year is coming up in 2024 and I’d love to see it back on the Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers list for the anniversary, so if you’ve ever taken part or gained any inspiration from the StoryADay blog, podcast, emails or challenges you can let Writer’s Digest know here.
Why You Should Include Holidays In Your Stories
September.
That was when I saw the first ‘holiday’ themed products in my supermarket (and yes, I mean the twinkling-lights, snow-covered, jolly fat-man type holiday),
And I know I’ll start seeing Valentine’s displays soon.
As a consumer it drives me a little crazy.
As a writer, it’s a great reminder.
- Holidays are part of the fabric of our lives
- It pays to plan ahead if you’re creating something with a date-related theme!
Why Include Holidays?
When it comes to end-of-year holidays my personal bias is towards Christmas & New Year, but there are so many other holidays to celebrate. Which will you choose?
The great things about including a holiday in a story are:
- They are evergreen: you can recycle them every year! (Think about how rich Maria Carey has become from that one song…)
- They are universal: no matter what culture we come from we all have those days where people come together, eat too much, face family members and friends they don’t really want to see, see people they haven’t seen for years, have fights, make up, fall in love, and get nostalgic.
- It’s an instant character-motivation-creator: around a holiday you always have some people who are sad, some people are excited, and some people who are a little too into it…
- If you are writing in a secondary or fantasy world, including this universal human experience in your story enriches the culture you’re creating. It feels real when your characters’ lives are complicated by ritual events they may have strong feelings about (even if it’s just to be frustrated at the interruption to their quest!)
Instant Drama
One of the best ways to get to know people is to see how they act under stress.
One of the best ways to stress your characters and find out who they are, is to throw them into the mix with people they wouldn’t necessarily choose to be with.
Can you think of a better way to do that, than to send them a holiday party? 😉
What holiday will you include in your next story? Is it real or fictional? What is your favorite holiday? Leave a comment!