This week’s prompts took a structural approach to story. Each day we focused on element of story: the beginning of the middle, the real middle, the climax, the end and then we went back to look at the beginnings again.
This week, you should feel free to attempt a story a day, or work on the same story all week. You can even rewrite old stories paying particular attention to the structural element of the day.
Prompt 1 – Mess With Their Heads
Having worked on character (the real starting point of any story) last week, this prompt encouraged us to move quickly onto messing with them — creating the real beginning of the story.
Ever got lost in the middle of a story? It happens all the time. One way to avoid the soggy midsection is to remember what your character wants and work on frustrating the more and more (and more).
Prompt 3 – The Bit Before The End
Now that it looks like all hope is lost, you can let your character fight back. Everything you’ve set up pays off now: it’s climax-time!
Prompt 4 – Writing A Strong Ending
It’s the end of September and time to look at the ends of your stories. We look at three different types of endings: when to use them and how not to screw them up.
Prompt 5 – Back To The Beginning
When you reach the end of any story, that’s the perfect time to go back and rewrite your first line…
Thanks for playing along during StoryADay September’s prompt-fest.
Don’t forget to sign up for news about the next proper StoryADay May challenge (which really is a Story A Day!).
If you need more writing prompts, bookmark this category. Come back as often as you need. You can also sign up for prompts by email every Wednesday and I’d love it if you’d play along by posting your short story here at the site each week and providing feedback for other people.
If you’re interested in investing in your writing development, get your Short Story Framework here. I don’t mail to this list very often, but when I do it is with news about courses (mine and other people’s) and books, tools, workshops etc. that I think are worth your time and money as a developing writer. Find out more about the StoryADay I, WRITER Course, here
Keep writing,