by Naomi L. | August 6, 2014 | Blog, Creative Writing, What If? Writing Prompts |
Last week, I shared my thoughts on why I believe “What if?” should be every writer’s favorite question. In the interest of running with that idea, today I’m opening a new segment on my blog based on this fascinating “gateway” question: “What If?” Writing Prompts!
The purpose of this is to create a more interactive portion of my blog where anyone can contribute their ideas for collective creativity. With a hectic schedule coming up in my real life that will definitely keep me from writing as often as I like, outside contribution will be a big help to keeping my blog an active source of inspiration for readers in the near future. So please, don’t be shy about sharing your ideas; I would love to feature your prompts in future “What If?” posts, always with full credit and a link to your blog, of course! Thank you!
To start this segment off, here are five prompts I came up with based on the theme of reimagining classic fairy tales. See what you can do with these and how many more you can think up yourself! Have fun!
What if… certain fairy tales were set in a different time/place/culture?
(Source: various reimagined adaptations of my favorite fairy tales)
What if… that fire-breathing dragon the knight slew was really a divine guardian keeping an evil princess captive in order to protect the kingdom?
What if… the Fairy Godmother had actually sent Cinderella to the ball on a mission to kill the Prince?
(Source: music video for “Cendrillon“, a VOCALOID song by Signal-P featuring Hatsune Miku and KAITO)
What if… witches and wizards didn’t use magic to make amazing things happen, but real science instead?
What if… characters in fairy tales never fell in love at first sight?
Sure, these may not be outstanding, but at least they’re a start. Good luck reimagining your favorite fairy tales!
If you have any “What If?” writing prompt suggestions (for any theme), please feel free to share them in the comments below. Ideas I like may be featured in future “What If?” posts, with full credit and a link to your blog (if you have one)! Also, if you’ve written a piece based on an idea you’ve found here, be sure to link back to the respective “What If?” post. I would love to see what you’ve done with the prompt! Thank you!
by Naomi L. | July 30, 2014 | Blog, Creative Writing |
As creators who take great pride in their craft, all artists constantly need to address questions about their work, and writers are no exception. “What should I write about?” “Who is my target audience?” “How can I make this particular plot work?” At every turn, we need to be aware of potential issues and solutions so that we can produce pieces of the highest possible quality. True, this isn’t always fun; some questions seem to limit our work, while others seem to pull the brakes on it altogether. Yet there is one question that every writer should ask but that many likely take for granted: the infamous “What if?”
Why ask “What if?”
I have memories from my childhood of my mom getting annoyed by my sister constantly asking “What if this?” or “What if that?” But while all the question ever did in her case was stress everyone out, I later came to realize how useful it could be for my fiction. We discouraged my sister from asking “what if” certain things were to happen in our real lives, and with good reason: it’s a terrifying question! But when I asked the same of my characters’ imaginary lives, countless possibilities emerged.
“What if something unexpected were to happen right here?” Then the characters could react in a way that would help establish important development points. “What if this character were to say something to that one?” Then the latter’s response could serve as a Chekhov’s Gun, concealing a clue that could become important later on in the story. “What if they were to go through the forest instead of around it?” Then they could run into a different set of obstacles that might make the story more interesting. You never know what sorts of ideas will pop up until you dare to search for them!
The Start of Something New
There’s a reason this writing exercise book is titled “What If?”!
“What if?” isn’t limited to stories that are already in progress. Sometimes asking the question can be the beginning of a new work altogether. For example, this was the case of one of my most popular stories: a video game fanfiction I wrote when I was 19, titled Generation Beta. The idea for this story came to me one day when I asked myself, “What if my favorite video game characters were to have a future in which they got married and had children?” That started me thinking about said children: what they would look like, what their names would be, how their personalities would develop as they grew older, etc. The next thing I knew, I had created an entire cast of second-generation characters and a handful of potential plots, so I decided to take my brainstorming a step further and write a whole story around them, which I eventually published online. To this day, Generation Beta remains my most read work of fiction, drawing in hundreds of views every month, and it’s all thanks to one simple question I asked in a moment of idle thinking.
If you’re looking for your next big idea, don’t underestimate the power of “What if?” One of your simplest answers to the question may just be the key to a successful new story!
No Obligations, No Worries
The great advantage of the question “What if?” is that it doesn’t tie you to one specific idea, because all you’re really doing is brainstorming without actually committing to anything yet. If a particular line of thought doesn’t feel right, you can discard it as if it never existed – which it technically didn’t anyway – and just go straight back to where you started to try a different path instead. By repeating this process, you can run with as many ideas as you like until you finally find the one that clicks. Handy, right?
So the next time you feel stuck, take a break and ask yourself “What if?” You never know where your trains of thought will take you, but you can be sure it’ll be well worth the ride! Good luck!
by Naomi L. | July 23, 2014 | Blog, Creative Writing, Writer's Toolkit |
I’ve already used my Writer’s Toolkit segment to talk about the advantages of keeping a journal and a pocket notebook. Now to complete the trio of handy note-taking tools, today’s topic covers a utility that every prolific writer (especially novelists) should have under their belt: index cards.
Oxford Ruled Index Cards
There probably isn’t much else I can add about the usefulness of index cards that hasn’t already been covered by the journal and the pocket notebook, so instead I’ll briefly cover the advantages they have over both of these. Like the aforementioned items, index cards are great for taking notes, and while they aren’t quite as convenient to carry around as a pocket-size book, they do have a significant feature that makes up for that: separability.
Notebooks are useful for keeping track of ideas as they come to you; the challenge is sorting through those ideas later. Cutting up pages and sticking pieces together doesn’t seem like a very productive way to go about it (unless you’re into scrapbooking, in which case it may actually be fun). A good alternative, therefore, is to scan through the highlights and note those on separate cards. You can categorize your ideas by topic and sort through them anytime to find the most relevant ones for your current project. Essentially, notebooks are for taking with you to jot down ideas on the go, while index cards are for organizing those ideas in your private workspace. How convenient is that?
While every writer can benefit from using index cards this way, novelists get the most use out of them with an additional purpose. If you’ve ever owned a cork board, you may already be familiar with the concept of pinning notes and pictures in an orderly fashion (if you’re like me, though, they’re probably all pinned haphazardly with no discernible pattern whatsoever). In a similar manner, writers planning out a novel can pin index cards to keep track of character profiles, settings and important plot points, so as to get a clear vision of the story as a whole. For writers who are total scatterbrains, this is an excellent habit to pick up!
Summary
Advantages of Using Index Cards
- Easy to sort ideas
- Categorize topics for quick reference
- Keep track of important plot details
- Visualize novel storyline
Index cards are a great option for many writers, but almost a necessity for novelists. Whether you like to set aside the occasional note for future reference or lay out the entire detailed storyline of an upcoming novel, index cards are a useful tool to help you keep your creativity in order!
by Naomi L. | July 16, 2014 | Blog, Creative Writing |
Time for July’s round of Writer’s Reveal! Once again, it was my turn to suggest the topic of the month, so the prompt I chose this time was: “the story that changed my life”. Hope you enjoy the topic, and be sure to check out everyone else’s take on this subject. Enjoy!
Five Stories That Changed My Life
I chose this topic because I thought it would be interesting to see how everyone would interpret it. What exactly constitutes a life-changing story? Is it one that took your life in a different direction than it would otherwise have gone? Is it one that motivated you to pursue your dreams? Is it one that made you look at the world differently? There are many ways to define life-changing stories, and I consider mine to be the ones that inspired me to become the writer I am today.
Now I know the prompt I sent refers to a single story, but when I thought about it, I realized how difficult it would be to choose just one. There are many stories that have played a role in helping me grow as a writer, and I can honestly say that my life would likely have gone a different way were it not for every one of them. So to summarize my journey as a writer and as a person, here are five of the stories that changed my life:
1) The Cat in the Hat – Maybe two years old is too young for anything to be life-changing yet, but reading The Cat in the Hat with my mom is one of the first memories I have of enjoying a good book. Dr. Seuss’s stories sparked my love of reading at an early age, and that was the all-important first step into my passion for creative writing.
2) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – I’ve loved reading since I was little, but Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was the story that first motivated me to become a writer. Roald Dahl’s colorful worlds and fantastic adventures inspired my imagination, and thanks to his books, I’ve known since I was nine years old that creating stories of my own is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
3) Harry Potter – Wanting to write stories wasn’t enough to make me a writer yet; I had to know how to do it well. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series taught me dozens of excellent storytelling techniques such as character development, plot construction and conservation of detail. These novels are also the reason I decided at age 11 to focus on writing in the fantasy genre.
4) The Mists of Avalon – I first read Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Arthurian fantasy saga at the age of 14, which was a critical point in my personal development. The Mists of Avalon was the series that introduced me to adult themes such as religious fanaticism, political radicalism and feminism, and it did so in a way that made me feel empowered as a woman. These books are what inspired me to create strong female characters, a practice I still keep to today.
5) My parents’ story – This last one isn’t a novel, though I strongly believe it should be. The most inspiring story I’ve ever heard didn’t come from a book, but from my own parents. The story of their relationship is one that has inspired me my whole life, and the best part is that it’s still being written! My parents are the reason I believe in true love, and why I’ve always enjoyed reading and writing romance. It’s not a novel, but it’s still my all-time favorite story!
These are the stories that I believe have changed my life. They may seem simple or insignificant to most, but if they played even the tiniest part in my growth as a writer and a person, then they definitely changed me for the better.
What about you? What are the stories that changed your life?
This has been a special topic post for Writers Reveal, a monthly blog swap among several talented writers. Be sure to check out the other blogs participating in the event. Thanks for reading!
Other bloggers in Writers Reveal
Melissa Khalinsky: Melissa Writes
Becky Fyfe: Imagine! Create! Write!
Ashley Howland: Ghostnapped
Emily Hawker: You Learn Something New Every Day
We’re looking for more bloggers to join our circle! If you’re interested in participating in this monthly roundup, be sure to contact Emily Hawker so she can include you in our email list. Thank you!
by Naomi L. | July 9, 2014 | Blog, Creative Writing |
So recently, I was tagged in a Why I Write chain by Emily Hawker, one of the bloggers in our Writers Reveal circle. Now I have to answer a handful of questions on – you guessed it – why I write. Sounds simple enough. Thanks for tagging me, Emily! Here goes nothing!
Why do I write?
I’ve already covered this question pretty thoroughly in one of my very first blog posts. There are several reasons I write, but they all trace back to one major point. In a nutshell, I write because writing makes me happy. It’s my calling, the air I breathe, the practice that gives my life purpose. It’s the one thing I feel with every last fiber of my being that I was meant to do. I’m not a writer because I write; I write because I am a writer.
What am I working on?
Right now, I’m mostly working on this blog and, if they count, academic papers for grad school. I also have plans to compile some short stories for self-publication, as well as devote more time to those sci-fi/fantasy novels that have been bouncing around in my mind for a few years now.
How does my writing differ from others in my genre?
To answer this question, I’d first need to identify my “genre”. Generally speaking, though, I prefer to write stories based on the tons of research I like do on subjects that interest me. In fantasy, much of my writing has roots in ancient mythology, as I mostly write magical creatures based on the mythical beasts I used to read about all the time as a kid. In science fiction, I like to write based on the real scientific subjects I’ve studied in college as a Biology major. And in romance, most of the love relationships I write about start out as friendships, because I’ve learned from my parents’ relationship and personal experience that love based on friendship is the best kind of love. All these practices may not make my writing better than that of other writers, but they certainly make it mine!
Why do I write what I do?
I like to try my hand at as many different styles and genres as I can, but I do have my favorites. I write fantasy and science fiction because they’re a great escape from the confines of reality. I write romance because one of my favorite themes in fiction and in real life is love, and I enjoy expressing my idealistic views on the subject through storytelling. And I write poetry because it’s an excellent emotional outlet.
How does my writing process work?
I don’t really have a set process when it comes to writing, but I suppose it consists of a lot of daydreaming. For most of my work, ideas usually come to me during my idle thinking, and the ones I like best get written down and eventually become the flash fiction stories and poems I share online. As for longer works such as short stories and novels, I spend a significant amount of time planning them in my head before I even write the first word. I focus on telling a good story during the writing stage, and I put equal effort into editing so as to satisfy my high standards for technique. In the end, what I’m (hopefully) left with are stories that I can be proud to present to the world. Though my processes differ from each other, what all my works have in common is that I pour my heart and soul into every word I write. Writing is my ultimate passion, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Passing the Torch
Now I’m supposed to tag three people to answer the same questions on why they write. For this chain, I choose Vanessa Levin-Pompetzki, Beth Teliho and Inion N. Mathair (which technically makes four people, but two of them write for the same blog!). Can’t wait to read about why you all write! Good luck, ladies!
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