FYWP

A bunch of prompts for those either aspiring to become writers, or those plagued by Writer's Block.

[fywritingprompts]

Write a story about a man who thinks his neighbors are aliens. However, nobody believes him.

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From Wikipedia:

On December 20, 1945, Frances Brown, a divorced woman, was discovered stabbed to death in her apartment at 3941 Pine Grove after a cleaning woman heard a radio playing loudly and noted Brown’s door partly open. Brown had been savagely stabbed, and authorities thought that a burglar had been discovered or interrupted. No valuables were taken but someone had written a message in lipstick on the wall of Brown’s apartment:     For heavens     sake catch me     before I kill more     I cannot control myself.

[fywritingprompts]

Edited version of The Breeze by Anne W. Brigman (1910)

[midenianscholar]

10 Writing Resources: Characters

From the basics to the very in-depth, these are some of the resources I go to when I’m developing new characters. Have a look at my favorites, and add your own!

1. 25 Things About Creating Characters

As a writer, creating characters is probably the most important thing you do. Get it wrong, and the story will be wrong no matter how well plotted.

2. Lessons From James Scott Bell: Characters That Jump Off The Page  

Readers are engaged by characters who do not always act in a predictable way. Think of how to have your character make decisions or respond in ways the reader won’t see coming.

3. Crafting Memorable Characters  

Successful main characters are the agents of their own destiny, they are someone we root for, and they grow or change during the course of the novel.

4. 6 Must-Know Tricks for Getting to Know Your Characters    

Most of us don’t start writing until we’ve come up with a character we just adore. But how can we make sure this character will also be adored by our readers?

5. Creating Your Hero’s Fatal Flaw

The most intriguing conflicts are the ones that come from within people’s own personalities.

6. Five Unrealistic Character Traits    

These characters have traits that are so unrealistic, the audience starts thinking about the author’s intention rather than the story at hand.

7. 100 Character Development Questions for Writers  

Answer these in character, but only in a situation where your character would be 100% honest with themselves and with the person asking the question.

8. Writing Crutches: Gestures  

What are gesture crutches, and why should we avoid them?

9. The Path to Deepening Your Protagonist

 Protagonists don’t write themselves. No character does. So why leave trait-choice up to the character?

10. Nine Kick-Ass Excercises to Find Your Character’s Voice  

Creating unique voices for each viewpoint character is essential in creating fiction readers want to read over and over.

What about you? What are your favorite blog posts about creating characters?

(cross posted over here)

[fywritingprompts]

Today at assembly our principal glitched out. They’re doing maintanance tonight though.

[promptly-written]

Promptly-Written Dialogue Prompt: Alone

"We’re not alone anymore."

[fywritingprompts]

Jerry and Sam Collins, high school students who live in an apartment with their parents at the back of Collins Mortuary, had never thought much about ghosts until the young victim of a serial killer is brought in for embalming and burial.

[anomalously-written]

Basic building blocks when creating your fictional carnival or fair or freakshow or sideshow! These are obviously just basics to build off of and expand -hope these help!

Rides & Attractions

Pendulum Rides (ie: Ali Baba, Frisbee, Kamikaze, Looping Starship, Pirate Ship, Ranger, Screamin’ Swing, Speed, Swing Boat, Topple Tower) Pic 1 | Pic 2

Water Rides (ie: Bumper Boats, FlowRider, Lazy River, Log Flume, Old Mill, River Caves, River Rapids Ride, Water Slide) Pic 1 | Pic 2

Drop Towers (ie: Double Shot, Space Shot, Super Shot, Turbo Drop, Hurakan Condor) Pic 1 | Pic 2

Train Rides & Roller Coasters

Swing Rides (a variation on the carousel in which the chairs are suspended from the rotating top of the carousel.) Pic

Dark Rides or Ghost Trains (an indoor amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music, and special effects.) Pic 1 | Pic 2

Spinning (Starship, Gravitron, Tilt-A-Whirl, Zero Gravity etc)

[[More Rides Here]]

Food

Meals [BBQ, Turkey Leg, Wings, Burgers, Chicken on a Stick, Hot Dog, Hot Tamale, Pizza, Gyros, Steak & Cheese, Sausage & Peppers, Grilled Corn etc]

Snacks [Nachos, Corn Dog, Fries, Soft Pretzel, etc]

Drinks [Lemonade, Soda, Beer, Frozen Alcoholic Drinks, Bottled Water etc] 

Sweets [Sno-Cone, Cotton Candy, Popcorn, Ice Cream, Doughnut, Funnel Cakes, Elephant Ears, Caramel Apple, Candied Nuts etc]

Some Terminology

86’d - To be banned from the lot

Blow Your Pipes - When a carny is hoarse from yelling at marks

Cake Cutting - Short-changing someone

Heat - Any problems in the carnival between any people there

Poke - Money belonging to a carny

Racket - Any operation that uses deception

Zamps - Rides for children

[[More Terminology Here]]

—-

Sideshows 

(please note: viewing “human oddities” became distasteful as the public conscience changed, and many localities passed laws forbidding the exhibition of “freaks”. Sideshows have since been reinvented to attract modern audiences and stay in the legal bounds -often including “fringe artists”, exhibiting extreme body modification and/or performing bizarre or masochistic acts like eating insects, lifting weights by means of hooks inserted in their body piercings, or stapling currency to their forehead.) [More On Decline & Revival of Sideshows]

Sideshow Terminology

"Ten-In-One" - a program of ten sequential acts under one tent for a single admission price.

"Single-O" - a single attraction.

a single curiosity like the “Bonnie and Clyde Death Car” or Hitler’s staff car, a “Giant Rat” (actually usually a nutria) or other unusual animal, a “What Is It?” (often a convincing but artificial monstrosity like the Fiji Mermaid) or a geek show often billed as “See the Victim of Drug Abuse.”

"Museum Show" - a sideshow in which the exhibits are usually not alive.

It might include tanks of piranhas or cages with unusual animals, stuffed freak animals or other exotic items like the weapons or cars allegedly used by famous murderers. Some of the exhibits might even be dummies or photographs of the billed attractions.

"Girl Show" -  in which women were the primary attraction. 

—-

Happy Writing! 

Xx

[suddenlyprompts]

"You look behind the door, behind the curtains, in the closet, under the bed. But don’t look up Mommy. She doesn’t like being watched…"

[fywritingprompts]

(I was unable to find an original source)

[thetrolliestcritic]

Sexuality & Gender Identity (101)

Some interesting things I stumbled upon while looking for some resources to put on the page. I thought these were pretty good.

Queer 101

Transgender 101

Bisexuality (Information on BiNet USA)

Asexuality 101

Pansexuality 101

Queer & Trans Youth

Terms & More (101)

This original post has been modified to include an updated & correct website to learn about bisexuality

[putthepromptsonpaper]

"I don’t care if you’re the ‘Chosen One’ or ‘Last Hope’ or whatever the hell it is they’re calling you. You’re you, goddammit, and you have a choice! If you’re really going to choose to throw your life away no matter what, then at least do it because you love this place or because you want to give these people a better life, but don’t do it just because someone told you it was your destiny, because that’s bullshit!"

submitted by anonymous

[hrrrrrystyles-blog]

Dullhypotheses’ Guide To Rehab (Part Two)

At around March, I was admitted into a rehabilitation center because of my depression. However, I am feeling much better now, and have thought of sharing my experience so that — hopefully — others may be able to use it in their writing, in the background of their characters, or for their personal use. This is a part two to my guide to rehab, and you can check out part one here. I highly recommend reading that first before turning to this one.

The same disclaimer follows: Not all rehabs works the same way. Different rehabilitation centers have different styles — some more lax, and others more strict. The type of rehab I was in is not the only type of rehab there is, but it is one type.

I hope I am able to be of some help! If there are any questions about life in rehab that you think I might help in, don’t be afraid to send me an ask!

Under the cut, you will find the following sections:

i. Length of Duration in Rehab ii. After Care iii. Supplication of Food, Toiletries, Clothing, etc. iv. Check-Ups v. Group Therapy Guidelines vi. OJT (On the Job Training) Students vii. Visitation and Going Out: Day Pass, Out on Pass, Escorts and Parents viii. Family Dialogue ix. Checking Out x. Life After Rehab

Read More

[suddenlyprompts]

"Social media is going to turn us all into zombies one day," he croaked brokenly.

[fywritingprompts]

(I was unable to find an original source; the oldest result is somewhere on 9gag)

[promptly-written]

Promptly-Written Photo Prompt: And ahead of us only… 

Photo credit: Nathan Pearce

[simply-quotes-deactivated202002]

It’s amazing the things you realize when you lose someone. You get mad at yourself for not saying the things you could have said a million times. You take for granted the days you spent doing nothing when you could have been with them. Anyone can be taken, at any point in our lives, but we always wait until they’re gone to say the things we never had the courage to say before.

Melody Carlson, Finding Out Who You Really Are