Today is probably going to be your heaviest day of writing. Don’t give up!

Here’s a snapshot of what’s ahead for you, when you stick to your commitment and put your writing-self first:

• “Mine is a reignited soul” – Faith
• “My day job seems easier when the writing is going well.” – Marta
• “Today I feel ready to write, to keep writing. I see that it can be done in small and consistent pieces… I can keep going! And I’ll save reminders of this feeling in visible places.” – Rory
• “I am enjoying this multi-pronged challenge! It refocuses my ADHD tendencies, hehe” – Yvonne
• “This has been just the tonic I needed” – Crystal
• “I am feeling pumped to continue working on this.”- Val
• “I finished a story for the first time in years and had fun checking out the comments every day… There are a lot more stories floating around in my head and I’d like to get them out on paper.” – Stephanie

Doing this work together makes it even more fun, so be sure to leave a comment and reply to some of the other writers in our community!

And now, to the tasks!

Task 1: Write “And Because of That” #1 & #2

Think of this section as several sequences:

• the first sequence where you’re reacting to the opening of the story and exploring how your character (this specific character at this specific moment in their life) reacts;
• the next sequence, taking your character into the next moment, and exploring how they react.

As you write, take breaks–especially between sequences.

Walk around. Take a shower. Dust off the exercise bike. Do the dishes…whatever you need to do to get away from the story for a minute or two and let your mind wander. (But keep your mind on your story)

Remember: this is a short story. Don’t try to cram too much in. This is a story about one thing changing. Don’t add too many locations or characters, but do keep your characters interacting, to keep the action pulling us along.

Strategies for Drafting ABOT#1

• Pull out your manuscript . You should already have written your opening and shown us what your character is dealing with and how that normally goes.
• Now, go back to your ABOT#1 brainstorming notes and write the scenes that show your character dealing with their challenge (trying to realize their desire). This is probably kicked off by something they did in the first part of your story.

If, in your Part One, your character answered the front door, I’ll assume some sort of interaction happened with the person on the doorstep. In that case, today you’re going to write the consequence of that.

A fun thing to do, to keep your story interesting, is make THIS the day they decide to react in a way they don’t normally react.

If a neighbor has come by to complain about your character’s dog barking, and if she normally apologizes, perhaps today is the day she decides to tell the neighbor what she really thinks of their petty complaints.

(This example works particularly well if your character’s desire is to stand up for herself more, or to be more respected, or to not be ignored…)

Remember that you’re setting up an action that gives you somewhere to go. You can move your character closer to or further away from their desire.

In the next sequence (And Because of That #2) you’re going to be writing the consequence of this first sequence, so leave yourself some room to move. The next sequence will either take your character further on the trajectory you set today or allow them to pull back in the other direction, regarding their desire)

And Because of That #2

How can you ratchet up the tension, or move the action along, in a new direction in the next part of the story?

Remember: it’s perfectly OK if the “And Because of That #2” you had planned yesterday no longer fits. You know more now. If you need to, think of a new direction that makes more sense for the character you’ve come to know, and go for it.

Remember, you’re leaving room for the final action/decision that will resolve the story, which is today’s Task 2…

Task 2: Brainstorm The Beginning of The End

Now that you have a sense of where your character is going and how they deal with things, you’re probably starting to get a sense of how you want to end this thing.

Today I want to give you the confidence to know that you can make that turn and begin to put an ending on this story!

The story begins to end when something finally changes for your character.

Maybe it’s internal, maybe it’s forced on them by an external event, but the final action they take in the story answers the ‘will they or won’t they’ achieve their desire.

(If you’re getting fancy it can answer the question of whether or not their desire is actually the same as what they need, but that’s a more advanced task!)

Remember: we’re thinking about the events that show us how the character ultimately deals with whatever they’ve faced during this story. It will probably tell us something about how they have changed (or refused to).

Don’t worry about how you put a bow on the ending yet. We’ll talk about that soon. Just think about what might happen, or at the very least, how you want your reader to feel as they exit the story.

(This emotional part is useful to write down now, because it can get lost as you wrestle with the actual writing part. Keep it handy, as a sign post, for when you’re writing this part!)

Leave a comment telling us how today’s task went. Did you have a sense of how your character will have changed by the end? Do you know how you want your readers to feel?

Need more encouragement? Here are some more voices about what they have achieved after getting serious about their writing, finishing stories, and participating in this writing community