What's driving your character? This could be (and ultimately should include) stakes, the avoidance of something unwanted, but for this prompt I'm more interested in the motivation: What goodies are in it for your character? What good stuff can they get from going through the obstacle course that is your story? How will succeeding make … Continue reading Scene Prompt #32: The Obsession

Is your character haunted? I mean metaphorically, but literally works too. They could be haunted by a person, past or present. Or an event past or present. Or a regret, something that didn't happen that they wish had happened. This prompt might seem similar to The Secret, but it doesn't have to be. This character-haunting … Continue reading Scene Prompt #31: Ghosts

Does your main character have any frenemies? A foe who becomes a friend? For this prompt, we're looking for shifting characters. One of my favorite types of show episodes is when the main character's antagonist--not Big Bad, usually, but an antagonist--becomes the character's friend. The main character gets taken hostage in a bank robbery with … Continue reading Scene Prompt #27: Hate me, Love me

Still doing conflict. Two weeks ago was the Why and the What. Last week was How much and How to add it. Today is How to optimize conflict and What conflict isn't. Here we go . . . Conflict works best when: It's presented on stage . . . "Conflict is a fight at some … Continue reading Scene Middles: Middle = Conflict, Part 3

The meet-cute (or cute meet) is an element of romantic stories. It's where the lovers meet, and, in romantic comedies at least, the depiction of the meeting is usually cute. You may not be writing something that has a romantic plot or subplot. That's okay. Does your main character or any of your point-of-view characters … Continue reading Scene Prompt #25: The Meet-Cute

We're looking at conflict. Last week we looked at the Why and the What. Today it's How and How much. Here we go . . . How much conflict? "[Conflict . . . will make up 95 to 98% of the length of the scene," says Jack M. Bickham. "Most of your scene should be … Continue reading Scene Middles: Middle = Conflict, Part 2 (of 3)

Think about your character's flaw or wound, or maybe they have a secret they don't want anyone to know. Pick any of those things or something else, as long as it's something about the character that arose from their backstory. Got it? Now, what, in the front story, could prompt them to think about this … Continue reading Scene Prompt #24: Frontstory-Backstory

Stories are all about tension, right? Conflict. For this prompt, we're going to try to create a scene with the most character-specific tension possible. So, with that in mind . . . what's the one thing your character would never do? This should be something that's story-relevant. Your character and your plot should be entwined … Continue reading Scene Prompt #23: Never would I ever

For this prompt, pick a scene you're not too excited about. It can be written already or it can be one you've been putting off because . . . meh. We're going to try to give this scene life (or more life, as the case may be) by looking for ways to make what the … Continue reading Scene Prompt #21: The Funhouse Mirror

This is the flip side of last week's prompt. We're creating those peaks and valleys found in mega bestsellers. So, building that rollercoaster . . . Given that you're taking the time to write this character's story, there's almost guaranteed to be a moment that makes his list of five all-time worst moments ever. Right? … Continue reading Scene Prompt #20: Worst Moment Ever