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Writing exercise
18/4/10 15:56Don't worry, I'm not going to cite my entire writing exercise, but I shall say something about it, because it's been wonderfully helpful and I want to share it.
The classic writing exercise I ran across called for a random list of words, so I used the prompts from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
100_snapshots, which I happen to be participating in.
The exercise is to write at least a sentence, but no more than a paragraph, prompted by each word in the list. I limited the scope of my subject matter to the novel in progress. Even though my intent was to break through the block on Chapter 31, almost every prompt in this rather random list of words evoked material after Chapter 31. This confirmed what several wise writers told me a few days ago: that a serious block usually means you're trying to write the wrong thing.
I got to prompt 67, "Smile," before the block was finally broken. I used the paragraph from promt 65, "Dream," as the new opening for the very recalcitrant Chapter 31, which is now back on track.
What's even cooler, though, are the sixty or so other snippets that expand upon, clarify, embroider on, form side ficlets about, or outright create essential new parts of the fourth and final part of the novel.
Every one of them is spoiler-ish, but I've put one here. Hover to see.
Okay, break's over. Back to work.
The classic writing exercise I ran across called for a random list of words, so I used the prompts from
100_snapshots, which I happen to be participating in.The exercise is to write at least a sentence, but no more than a paragraph, prompted by each word in the list. I limited the scope of my subject matter to the novel in progress. Even though my intent was to break through the block on Chapter 31, almost every prompt in this rather random list of words evoked material after Chapter 31. This confirmed what several wise writers told me a few days ago: that a serious block usually means you're trying to write the wrong thing.
I got to prompt 67, "Smile," before the block was finally broken. I used the paragraph from promt 65, "Dream," as the new opening for the very recalcitrant Chapter 31, which is now back on track.
What's even cooler, though, are the sixty or so other snippets that expand upon, clarify, embroider on, form side ficlets about, or outright create essential new parts of the fourth and final part of the novel.
Every one of them is spoiler-ish, but I've put one here. Hover to see.
Okay, break's over. Back to work.
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