The Prompt

Write a story set at a party

Things To Consider

Parties are great for stories because they are great opportunities for characters to come into conflict with each other, their own desires and expectations of society.

They can also be huge fun.

This can be a great opportunity to write a story that could double as the seed for a chapter in a novel-in-progress, if you have one of those on the go.

Bring all your characters together around one dinner table or in one back yard an let them loose on each other.

• What simmering resentments will someone air?

• Who will not confront the person they should confront?

• Whose secret will accidentally be shared by a loose-lipped older sister?

Then, make a note to show up at our StoryADay May 15th Anniversary celebration tonight!

Leave a comment and let us know how it went!

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YOU DID IT!!!

Here’s your FINAL Game Piece. save the image and share on social media with #storyaday

Prefer paper crafts? Here’s the cut & paste version

The Prompt

Create a story that is a mashup of everything you’ve learned about your writing tastes, this month. Your character has a run-in with their nemesis.

Things To Consider

What have you learned over this month about the voices, tones, genres, characters, and length that come most easily to you?

What kinds of characters did you like to write about (fish out of water? Someone in a particular profession? Someone at a particular kind of crossroads?).

Pick your favorite type of character today. Don’t worry that you’ve written about them before.

This is about strengthening your skills.

What kind of tone did you most enjoy writing it? Satire? Heartfelt and romantic? Upbeat? Dark? Dreamy? Clipped and spare? None of these are the ‘right’ choice in any objective sense.

There is no ‘best’ tone to write a story in, only the tone that fills you with glee.

What genre did you find yourself coming back to over and over again? Mystery? Speculative? Historical? Romance? Literary? A blend of genres? (Literary Horror? Paranormal Romance? Romance Fantasy?)

Let yourself run wild in that genre today.

What length of story came most naturally to you? 100 words? 1200? 2000?

Aim for that today and spend a few minutes thinking about how much space that gives you for setting the scene, describing characters, introducing plot complications and side characters, description, and all the other details.

It should become clear to you why the common writing advice is ‘get your characters into trouble as quickly as possible’.

Spend a little time thinking before you write, so you don’t have to do it on the page.

(Or, you know, if you’re like me and you think best on the page, write it all out, then cherry pick the ‘real’ start of your story)

Leave a comment and let us know how it went!

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Want more help brainstorming this today? Missed a few prompts this month?

The Prompt

Write a story in the point of view you found most satisfying, this month. Your character has just received some news they feel strongly about.

Things To Consider

Remember that each POV (1st person, second, third person limited, omniscient, and all the other flavors…) has its limitation.

In First Person the narrator can never know anything that’s happening outside their view, except through other people telling them about it.

In Third Person you can’t hop around between different characters’ internal lives within the same scene without risking confusing readers (and being jumped on by eager critique partners).

In Omniscient, you can inhabit many characters, which can make harder for readers to empathize with or root for anyone in particular.

Each POV can be helpful in telling different types of stories and you will want to develop your skills with cost of them, but is there one that comes most naturally to you?

Run wild with that, today.

Explore the limitations and opportunities it affords

. Have fun with it.

Leave a comment and let us know how it went!

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