If you’re following along with my StoryAWeek newsletter we’re talking about location this week.
Here are some links to things I talked about in the email.
Million Dollar Outlines by David Farland
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet by Richard Matheson
All links above are Amazon affiliate links
It’s dangerous to allow rejections, acceptances, marketing budgets or any other business-related nonsense to determine your worth as a writer.
So who should you be listening to? In this episode, I have some thoughts…
LINKS
StoryADay Critique Week: https://stada.me/critique
StoryAWeek Newsletter: https://storyaday.org/storyaweek
3-Day Challenge: https://storyaday.org/3dc
In which I tell you what my critique partners said about my latest pages…
Listen to the Audio
Watch the video
It’s dangerous to allow rejections, acceptances, marketing budgets or any other business-related nonsense to determine your worth as a writer.
So who should you be listening to? In this episode, I have some thoughts…
LINKS
StoryADay Critique Week: https://stada.me/critique
Get writing prompts and lessons in your inbox every week with the StoryAWeek Newsletter
Today’s email about the podcast had a broken link in it.
Click here for the Prepping for NaNoWriMo 2022 podcast episode
The Reading Room is a personal log of stories I’ve enjoyed, read through the eyes of a writer. Find more
This story plays really nicely into the idea of the Locked Room Mystery, only it’s an escape pod on a space station, and not just any space station but a cloistered world of intellectuals who have chosen a life of focus, mostly-ignoring the outside concerns of the universe.
The opening line is a doozy:
“When we opened the escape pod, the person inside it was dead.”
The mystery in the story is a classic ‘locked room’ mystery: a seemingly impossible to explain murder, and the solution is excellently suited to the setting of the story. (Well done, that author!).
I think mysteries work best when they misdirect and distract us with a compelling human story and this one certainly does that. We have a cloistered order of intellectuals to explore, one that is suddenly confronted with an outsider, and a dead one at that, AND we have a bit of a family story as the protagonist’s teenaged daughter enters the tale (with all the usual parental issues that come along with living through your child’s teenage years: communication missteps, a growing sense of separation, an acknowledgement that time with them is finite).
This story reminded me of the best of classic sci-fi: Asimov with a bit more character development, Clarke with a bit less tech, Heinlein without the weird sex stuff.
As a mystery AND Sci-fi fan I really enjoyed this brief visit to the words of Malka Older, and look forward to the novel. “The Mimicking of Known Successes” (Tor, 2023)
Said author Malka Older:
“Living through the past
Tor.comyeartwo yearsfive years, I’ve thought a lot about the power of comfort reading, and so I packed this book with elements that bring me joy: a slow-building romance; an atmospherically Holmesian mystery; a storied academic idyll (constructed from reclaimed satellites); long train rides across the bleak landscape of a giant gas planet, and tea in front of the fire on stormy nights. At the same time, I also found myself needing to write about ecosystem loss and communities in conflict between returning to what was normal in the past and forging a new future. It’s the banter-filled, yearning comfort read I needed in my life, and I’m so happy to send it out into the world.”
Find this story in the Sunday Morning Transport newsletter
In which I read you a short story prompt
Listen to the Audio
Watch the video
It’s that time again: time to make your commitments to your writing for the coming month. Join us!
Welcome to the Serious Writers’ Accountability Group!
Post your goals for this month and let us know how you got on with last month’s goals.
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.)
Did you live up to your commitment from last month? Don’t remember what you promised to do? Check out the comments from last month.
And don’t forget to celebrate with/encourage your fellow SWAGr-ers on their progress!
Download your SWAGr Tracking Sheet now, to keep track of your commitments this month
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Examples of Goals Set By SWAGr-ers in previous months
So, what will you accomplish this month? Leave your comment below (use the drop-down option to subscribe to the comments and receive lovely, encouraging notifications from fellow StADa SWAGr-ers!)
(Next check-in, 1st of the month. Tell your friends!)
I hope you’ve had a brilliant May! Leave a comment and let me know your hopes for the future.
Write A Story of Hope
You can use this prompt to write about your hopes for your (writing) future or you can write a fictional story that revolves around hope.
The fun thing about playing with hope is that it raises the stakes so very high, and allows for the possibility of some real dark nights of the soul. What does it do to your character when they think all hope is lost? How do they act?
And what does it do to your reader when you whiplash their emotions all over the place and grant your character’s wish, after all?
(Can you tell I’m hoping for happy endings? You should feel free to disappoint me if you’re more of the ‘everybody dies a meaningless death at the end’ type)
Leave a comment letting me know how your month has gone, what you’ve achieved and what you hope that means for the future.
It has been an absolute privilege to spend this time with you creative souls. I hope you’ll stick around for the rest of the year and most of all,
Keep writing,
Julie
You’ve been writing enough, by now, that I think it’s time to set you free a little bit…
Write a story inspired by the theme: Duty
Write a story that grows out of your thoughts (positive or negative) as you ponder the word ‘duty’.
What does duty mean? To whom does your character owe it? Should they?
Will you write a story of sacrifice and honor or one of rebellion (an honor)?
Julie Duffy is a writer with a strong sense of justice. But that doesn’t mean she’ll do what’s she’s told. Read more about Julie and invite her to talk to your writing group.
The Welsh Government plants a tree for every new child in Wales. Write a story involving one of the trees or forests.
Would you like to join us for a writing sprint this morning? Click here at 10 AM (Eastern US) CHECK YOUR TIME
Since 2008 the Welsh Government has pledged to plant a tree for every new child born or adopted in Wales. Write a story involving one of the trees or forests.
You can read more about the scheme here
You could take this down a supernatural/fantasy root (pun intended).
Remember you don’t have to use a traditional style of storytelling. You could write your story as the minutes of a meeting, a newspaper report, a personal letter.
You might not have time to write a long story with all the background info filled in so jump straight into the action. You can always add backstory when it comes to revising.
Katie Bennett-Davies lives in Wales with her husband and cat, Didi. Living with disabilities has allowed her to see the world from a different perspective. She enjoys pottering in the garden and drinking too much coffee.
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
The possibilities are as numerous as … the hairs on a human head.
Rapunzel’s saved her from an enchanted prison. Sampson’s gave him unparalleled strength. Medusa’s was nearly as deadly as her eyes, and in Pope’s mock-epic, Belinda’s drives the Baron to distraction.
Tell a story about a “hairy” situation.
The possibilities are as numerous as … the hairs on a human head.
Michele is a writer and educator living in Bucks County, PA, with her family and never enough books. Her short fiction has appeared in Across the Margin, Stories That Need to be Told, Sunspot Literary Journal, Dreamers Creative Writing, and others. Find her online at mereisinger.com.
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
Choose a character to observe this scenario
A wrecking ball is parked in front of a 100-year old building. You are an architect, the wrecking ball operator, or a homeless person? What are your best memories and deepest regrets?
Brenda is happily married with two beautiful daughters, three dogs, two cats and a bird named Amy Farrah Fowler. Her flower gardens are forever at the beginner’s stages as she would rather hike with her husband and dogs or explore her writing. Her favorite breakfast is crispy bacon and strawberry jam on white toast. She is currently working on her first novel and has a monthly newsletter ‘Thru the Window’
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
Write a story in which two characters talk different languages
Communication can be one of the greatest challenges of the human race with roughly 7000 spoken languages in the world. Have you ever been in a country where you did not speak the language but needed to find a location or service? Have you ever helped a non-native speaker of the language in your country purchase an item or find the right train? Perhaps the communication resulted in gestures, pointing at an item or drawing pictures to convey a message. Write a story where two characters speak a different language and must communicate for the most part without words. It can be in first person from the point of view of one of the characters. If it helps, draw from your own personal experience(s).
Carey Shannon loves to use her writing to make humorous connections between items that may appear completely unrelated. A feat that is easy for a serious Elvis fan and frequent blood donor.
Carey Shannon loves to write about humorous connections between items and subjects in life that may appear to be completely unrelated. A feat that is easy for an Elvis super fan and frequent blood donor. She has been a member of the Story A Day community since 2020 and now hopes to provide some inspiration quirkiness to other writers.
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
What do you need to do to help you soar in your writing life? Join me for a Lesson in Creative Thermodynamics!
LINKS:
Leave a comment: storyaday.org/a-lesson-in-creative-thermodynamics
The 3-Day Challenge: storyaday.org/3dc
How to soar in your writing life…and as a result, the WHOLE of your life.
Listen to the Audio
What do you need to do to help you soar in your writing life? Join me for a Lesson in Creative Thermodynamics!
See the illustration and leave a comment on the Lesson In Creative Thermodynamics
Write a story inspired by a song
Listen to Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen and watch the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129kuDCQtHs You have few options: 1–Write to the music as you are listening. 2–Dance with the music to get you in the spirit before you write. 3–Use the lyrics to spark your story idea.
Robin Stein lives and writes memoir, poetry and fiction in Newton, MA. She finds inspiration in music and dance. robinsteincreative.org
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
Use this as the first line of your story: “Every journey begins with the tears of kings.”
Use this as the first line of your story: “Every journey begins with the tears of kings.”
This can be taken literally as a story about a tragedy that’s befallen a king, or a searing indictment of the crocodile tears rulers use to start wars; or you can use this as a metaphor: instead of an actual physical journey, maybe it’s a journey of the soul.
Fleet Sparrow is a queer, genderless writer living in the Los Angeles area who makes zir financial living moving freight and zir creative living writing. Perhaps, one day, the twain shall meet.
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
P.S. I haven’t forgotten about the bingo card. If you’re still faithfully filling in your gameboard, snap a picture and send it to me here for a chance to get some real-world mail from me.
Don’t forget, I’ll be reviewing pieces of some of your stories live, tonight at 7 pm Eastern US.
Watch your inbox for a Zoom link about an hour before the call, or you can simply follow along on YouTube
It takes a lot more energy to get off the ground than it does to stay in the air…
My dad joined the Air Training Corps as a teenager because they promised to let him fly a glider.
(Patriotism? Sure! But also: flying!)
As a kid I thought this sounded very cool. As a grown up (and a mother) my first thought is:
“You want to do what in a plane that has no engine?!”
But there’s a secret to staying in the air in a ‘sailplane’.
The secret is to know that some areas of the ground radiate extra energy in the form of heat. This forces the air upwards.
A skilled pilot in a good glider can find and ‘borrow’ that energy, riding those thermals, to soar for a little longer.
I promise It’s not just me spouting hot air (rim shot!)
As creative people, like glider pilots, we’re always fighting gravity–usually in the form of everyday obligations that demand our time and sap our energy. This is when we can learn something from glider pilots:
Borrow energy to give you a lift.
How do glider pilots find these invisible sources of lift?
It turns out there are clues you can stay alert for.
Wetlands are necessary for continuing life on this planet; but glider pilots need to plan around them, if they want to stay aloft.
In this metaphor the wetlands are all the parts of our lives that may be essential and beautiful, but don’t support our creativity. (You KNOW the ones I’m talking about.) They’re important. But if you spend all your energy there, you’ll come crashing down.
And it takes a lot more energy to get off the ground than it does to stay in the air.
All you need is one good, strong lift to keep your writing life aloft for a while.
And the more often you chain together those uplifting moments, the longer you get to soar.
You might borrow energy from
Live your life.
Do the things you need to do.
But stay alert for opportunities to ride an upward thermal every now and then.
Keep writing,
Julie
What are YOUR creative thermals? What lifts you up and gives you energy? Share in the comments!
Write a story inspired by plants
Write a story inspired by a plant.
I love plants, whether they are in pots on my desk, in my community garden plot, or–best of all–growing where they choose outdoors.
Do you have a favourite plant? One that you find particularly fascinating? Or repulsive?
It could be a tree or shrub, a vegetable or a plant known for its flowers, or a so-called ‘weed’.
What does it make you think of? Do you have memories, positive or negative, associated with it? Do you associate it with a favourite food or a terrible rash or a wonderful fragrance?
Think about the texture of the leaves, petals, or bark. How would you describe the smell? What does it taste like?
Use some of these ideas as the basis for your story.
The story could be a fleeting encounter with someone wearing a floral scent you find repulsive. Or a story about a child planting pretty flowers with their grandmother. It could be about the struggles of growing hops in a Martian settlement.
Or maybe your story won’t be about the plant itself at all.
Monique Cuillerier writes (mostly) science fiction. She lives in Ottawa (Canada) and spends her non-writing time running, knitting, getting angry on Twitter (@MoniqueAC), and (unsurprisingly) gardening. Her work can be found at notwhereilive.ca
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
Your character writes a letter to their future self, in today’s StoryADay writing prompt
Sometimes when we are writing characters we forget how much they change, not just in the course of our stories, but in the course of their (fictional) lives.
Today, go back to last week’s story (What If by Leslie Stack) and imagine your character at the moment before everything started to go wrong, before the thing they regret and wished they could fix.
Have that younger version of your character write a letter to their future self, 10 years hence. (Your character might do this because they are given an exercise in a writing class, a leadership seminar, or it could be inspired by hitting a life milestone, a birthday or graduation, or even by reading an article like this.
What do they hope for their future self? What can you include (knowing what you know, from that earlier story) that will be bittersweet or amusing or ironic? What do they expect their life to be in 10 years?
And just to keep things interesting, like Wilfred in that link above, keep the letter to 280 words.
Julie Duffy is the founder & director of StoryADay. She writes stories and used to be famed among her far-flung friends, for writing epic letters. If you’d like to receive electronic letters from her, on the topic of writing, make sure you’re signed up at StoryADay!
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
Write a ‘hermit crab’ story, a story written in the form of someone’s browser history
Tell a story using someone’s browser history. It could be nothing more than a list of sites visited, or perhaps there are a few narrative interludes, but the main goal should be to tell the bulk of the story with the trail of virtual breadcrumbs.
Gabrielle Johansen is a fantasy writer from the south, who has gone down many a rabbit hole herself.
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
Write a story as a recipe
Create a recipe for a magic potion or elixir using the same format as a cookbook.
You can provide ingredients like fire or the screams of banshees.
Click here for a list of magical elements that may provide some inspiration. T
his could also be a good recipe for a great memory or dream or the perfect evening.
Carey Shannon loves to write about humorous connections between items and subjects in life that may appear to be completely unrelated. A feat that is easy for an Elvis super fan and frequent blood donor. She has been a member of the Story A Day community since 2020 and now hopes to provide some inspiration quirkiness to other writers.
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
I was talking to a writer friend recently and mentioned the Superstars group, in passing.
They said, “I’m taking this business course right now, but when I have time to get back to writing in a couple of years, I’m definitely joining that.”
Did your hair just stand on end, too?
When I have time to get back to writing in a couple of years…
What will that writer have lost in those two years?
Add your own items here______________
When I talked about Superstars yesterday I talked about the ‘stuff’ (the monthly special events, the archive of craft workshops, the hangouts).
But Superstars is not about the stuff.
Superstars is about having a place where you can show up for yourself, as a writer.
It’s about having encouragement to keep your writing going while you do all the other things in your busy life.
Its’ about turning up for a writing sprint once a day, once a week, or once a month (even if it’s not in the live Zoom, but in our Slack workspace – a check-in to say “I’m here. I’m writing!”), so that you don’t go months (years?) without writing.
So that you don’t keep reading that one more craft book, or taking that one more class, and never actually write anything.
You cannot ‘fall behind’ in Superstars. You can only gain ground.
I’m scared for my writer friend.
I hope that business course is exiting and profitable.
I hope the novelty feeds their creative soul.
But I know the writer inside isn’t going away.
I’m scared that, in a couple of years, my writer friend will be disappointed that they let their writing go…so disappointed that they’re scared to come back to it.
(I may be writing this email as much for myself as for my writer friend and you, by the way!)
Writers who don’t make time for their own writing, struggle to be happy. Because they know they are meant to be writing.
People who say ‘then just do it’ don’t help, because writing is hard and nobody really supports you through it.
Except for the Superstars.
Whether they participate a little or a lot, each of them knows they have a place where they will always be welcomed and encouraged as a writer, sometimes by welcoming and supporting others….and this is a source of power in our lives.
I want you to feel that power.
So I apologize if I made this opportunity sound like yet another obligation to fit into your calendar.
If I did, I hid from you the extraordinary treasures you could be discovering by having a secret island in the midst of life’s turbulent seas, where you can find respite and fuel for the journey.
That’s what the Superstars group is for me and so many others.
Find out more about Superstars
Keep writing,
Julie
PS. When someone else you love wants something — really wants it — you’ll go out of your way to find the resources to make it happen for them. What would change in your life if you were allowed to make that bold move, for yourself?
today’s writing prompt invites you to write a short story in an unusual format: an overheard conversation
Write a one-sided conversation.
Imagine a character listening to one side of a Zoom call.
The person on the call is using headphones, so your character can only hear their words, not the responses.
Imagine a conflict for your two characters (it could be a parent and child, a romantic couple, roommates): Living together has certain stresses and we all need things from the folks we live with. Being in close confines causes conflicts every day, that build over time.
Your character has a problem with the person they live with. Maybe they want more of their time and attention. Maybe they want to leave. Maybe they just want to have a discussion about values.
How could the one-sided conversation they overhear illustrate (or solve, or illuminate the problem?
You could write this in sections – the first section is your character thinking about the problem, or rehearsing what they’re going to say to their housemate.
The second section could be the conversation they overhear. You can include your character’s internal (and external) reactions to what they here, or just leave that section as a block of monologue.
The third section might be showing your character’s actions in the wake of the understanding they have gained from eavesdropping on the conversation.
Don’t forget to include physical senses in some of the story. Where is your person standing? What does the room feel like? What can they smell? What else can they hear (are the floorboards creaking underfoot, as they try to conceal their presence? Or are they tapping on the door and being ignored/unheard? Are they sipping on a coffee or a cocktail? How does it taste?
Julie is the host of StoryADay and has been on more than her fair share of Zoom calls even before, you know, 2020. Julie often speaks to writers groups and business groups about creativity, writing, and the art of productivity. If you’d like her to speak to your group, you can find out more here
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
P. S. Over on the Fun-Size Challenge I’ve invited people to submit a story for a chance of getting feedback from me on a live call next week. You are also invited to the party. Get all the details.
A call to action!
I’m obsessed with helping you write more and feel successful in your writing life (Yes, I was watching the E! Emmy’s red carpet show this week. Thanks for the epithet, Laverne Cox!)
What are you willing to do to become the writer you know you are inside?
LINKS:
I’m obsessed with helping you write more and feel successful in your writing life (Yes, I was watching the E! Emmy’s red carpet show this week. Thanks for the epithet, Laverne Cox!)
What are you willing to do to become the writer you know you are inside?
LINKS:
Join the Superstars: https://stada.me/superstars
Not your everyday fanfic!
Do a Fanfiction of your favorite or least favorite TV commercial
Brenda is happily married with two beautiful daughters, three dogs, two cats and a bird named Amy Farrah Fowler. Her flower gardens are forever at the beginner’s stages as she would rather hike with her husband and dogs or explore her writing. Her favorite breakfast is crispy bacon and strawberry jam on white toast. She is currently working on her first novel and has a monthly newsletter ‘Thru the Window’
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
Write a story as a travel brochure
Because of the COVID vaccines, travel is opening up.
Write a story that’s also a travel brochure.
You can write as if it’s a fantasy locale or an Island in Greece or an outer space destination.
Christina is a writer who digs dragons.
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
Just for fun, write a story through horoscopes.
Just for fun, write a story through horoscopes.
This could either be a horoscope on a given day for your various characters.
A simplified example is a protagonist’s horoscope that might say, “You’re a curious soul, but be careful who you trust.” And an antagonist’s horoscope that says, “You’re bold and aren’t afraid to get what you want. Don’t let your anger get the better of you.”
But another option could be a series of horoscopes for a given character.
This could be a daily, weekly, or monthly horoscope, which would have “fortunes” for a few days, weeks, or months, respectively.
Horoscope one: The stars say it’s a good time to stay home. Horoscope two: You’ve recently been in an accident. Now is a time to focus on healing. Three: You’ve taken too many risks. Pay more attention to nearby dangers.
You don’t have to know anything about the zodiac to give it a try. Just play around with it.
Marta is a writer and artist who drowns her demons in coffee and can’t be trusted with a pen. She has a few stories published (all written during Story-a-Day!) and is currently creating things for her better angels on Patreon.
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
In today’s writing prompt will you grant your character the power to change the past?
“If only I could go back and do it over again, I would…
” How many times have we said that to ourselves?
In JK Rowling’s “The Prisoner of Azkaban,” Hermione Granger had a time turner necklace where she could turn back time to allow her to attend more classes, but more importantly, save two lives.
Whether it’s changing one seemingly small decision or a whole lifetime of decisions, there is usually one thing that we would change if we could.
Something that would make a difference in just one life or many more.
What is your character’s one thing?
Leslie Stack is a writer, musician, camper, and teacher who loves being on the water or in a museum. You can usually find her doing research behind dark glasses on a park bench. She lives in a house in Pennsylvania with her husband where the books are plotting a takeover.
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
Write a story in whcih a character talks to an animal
Dr. Dolittle author Hugh Lofting showed the magic of communicating with animals through his series of children’s books.
The relationship between animals and humans can range from affection to terror.
As pets, animals can sometimes be our greatest confidantes and comforters.
In the wilds of a forest or jungle, they can be our greatest enemy.
Write a story where a person speaks to an animal as if they were another person.
Mystical animals like dragons and unicorns are welcome.
Carey Shannon loves to use her writing to make humorous connections between items that may appear completely unrelated. A feat that is easy for a serious Elvis fan and frequent blood donor.
Carey Shannon loves to write about humorous connections between items and subjects in life that may appear to be completely unrelated. A feat that is easy for an Elvis super fan and frequent blood donor. She has been a member of the Story A Day community since 2020 and now hopes to provide some inspiration quirkiness to other writers.
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
![[Reading Room] The Locked Pod by Malka Older](https://storyaday.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/1660D423-AC02-4C83-A14B-BC1BC2E791E9-1200x624.jpeg)
