Okay, you made it! Welcome to Week Two.

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Week 2 Elements of Story

[Remember, if you want ALL THE PROMPTS NOW you can get them in the ebook A Month of Writing Prompts 2016, and help keep StoryADay free at the same time!]

This week we’re going to get a little more serious, but still keeping the stakes very low. I want you to remember that nothing you’re writing this month needs to be brilliant. The point of all of this is to get you writing a lot so that you can find out

• what it is you really want to be writing
• what your strengths are what your weaknesses are and
• how to get over that hesitation when you start to write, and instead find your way to the place where the writing is flowing.

Having said that I don’t want this to be a waste of your time.

So this week we’re going to work on some skills that you’re going to need as you get into crafting your stories when the month of short story writing is finished.

This week I’m going to give you three different story structures that you can use with the story sparks that you’ve been collecting (you have been collecting stories parks haven’t you?) We’re going to take a look at

• Setting and incorporating setting into your story so that readers feel like they’re part of the action.
• Ways of making your protagonist a rounded character by giving him or her some flaws.
• Antagonists and villains and how to incorporate them without making them flat but also without letting them take over the story.
• Sidekicks and secondary characters to see what they can do for your protagonist and your story.

If you’ve already written a story a day for seven days I’m confident that you are discovering your best practices. Hold onto that knowledge while we dive deeper into the nitty-gritty of storytelling this week. Work when your energy is highest. Squeeze writing into tiny pockets of the day if you have to. Harness your community and your support group and get them to keep you accountable. It’s going to get harder this week, but it’s worth it. Keep writing.

This is important to you.

You deserve this.

Tips For Success In Week 2

It’s getting harder this week so take all the lessons you’ve learned from last week and make them work for you.

• What was the best time of day to write?
• What did you do on your most successful days? How can you replicate that this week?
• What did you do on your worst writing days last week? How can you avoid those things this week?
• Did you read any short stories last week? Try reading some this week, to help recharge your imagination.

The Prompts

• Day 8 – The Cinderella Story Structure 
• Day 9 – The Ugly Duckling Story Structure
• Day 10 – The Hansel & Gretel Story Structure
• Day 11 – Paint A Vivid Setting
• Day 12 – Your Flawed Protagonist
• Day 13 – Your Villain As A Mirror
• Day 14 – The Sidekick In The Tale

Tips For Taking Part

1. Write a story every day (you don’t have to use the prompts)
2. Come back to each day’s post (or this one) and leave a comment telling us how you got on.
3. Encourage other people to keep going!
4. Even if you’re not using the prompts, click on the links above, because the comments of those blog posts are where the community discussion’s happening for StoryADay September 2016!

Keep writing!

P.S. Want me to read all the prompts to you in my soothing Scottish accent? Check out the new podcast on iTunes, Android, or any other podcast player.