One of your primary characters knows exactly where he’s going. Or does he? Does he tighten his grip on the wheel when familiar terrain suddenly looks foreign? Does he stomp his foot on the brake pedal as he approaches an unexpected roadblock? Explore an obstacle or a case of bad directions, not forgetting to use the sense of touch to ground your character in his setting and heighten emotion or tension.
Think of a voyage, whether it’s one you’ve taken or an imaginary one. Describe it in detail, making sure to include key sounds that help place your reader in the setting.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Chardonnay, root beer, lemon soda, or water… what are you drinking right now? Exercise your sense of smell by turning off your tastebuds for a few sips and trying one or both of these prompts:
What’s peeking through the grass? What is he/she/it looking for?
The most brilliant of stories–fiction or non-fiction–come from nothing more than a seed. Devote at least part of your writing time today to pulling out your collection of writing ideas and see if you can find new potential in old seeds. Does time give you a new perspective on a topic, making a previously disregarded idea now seem bursting with life? Does a character sketch you never fully developed suddenly fit perfectly in the story you’re writing now?
What is your pet thinking about right now?
Summer is on its way out. But before it fully gives way to the full bounty of apples, squash, and stews, among other fall foods, capture your summer memories by describing the tastes of the last three months.
The cold paint cans in her hand, the texture of the wall or appliance serving as a blank canvas–your character is doing some home improvement. What emotions does she feel as she holds a can in her hand for the first stroke? Is she covering up past memories, good or bad? Is she starting a new phase of life? Is she reinventing herself?
Describe the sounds surrounding this tree.
