Because I like to bring pain and suffering to our KCD chat, I kicked the figurative door open one day and proposed that, what if, Henry wore armor for the suicide mission, so Hans would be the one helping him into it - and how it would make it crucially clear that it would be the only thing keeping Henry alive if it came to it. And how Hans couldn't do anything else than pray that it would all be enough. And the idea just stayed with me, with the allmighty lord Capon, who never did anything like this to someone else, and how it would make their roles very much reversed. On top of all that angst, of course.
So. That led me to draw this, hopefully you enjoy it!
6 Quick Writing Exercises to Wake Up Your Imagination
We all hit those blah writing days. Your fingers are ready, your doc is open... and your brain goes static. Thatâs where writing exercises come in â small creative boosts to shake off the dust and get back into your story flow. Here are six to try when your words feel stuck in traffic.
1. The 5-Minute Word Sprint
Pick a random word (use a generator or close your eyes and point at a book), set a 5-minute timer, and write anything involving that word. No stopping, no deleting.
2. Dialogue Without Context
Write a short convo between two people. No descriptions. No setting. Just back-and-forth lines.
3. Rewrite a Scene in Another Genre
Take a scene from your current story and flip the genre. Drama becomes comedy. Fantasy becomes sci-fi. Romance becomes horror.
4. Describe a Place Using the Five Senses â No Sight Allowed
Canât mention what anything looks like. Only sound, touch, smell, taste, and intuition.
5. Character Swap POVs
Write a paragraph from the POV of a side character reacting to your main character. Bonus if the POV is brutally honest or completely wrong.
6. One Line Story Hooks
Write 3 one-sentence story starters that make you want to keep writing. (Example: âI woke up married to my enemy, and worse â he knew it before I did.â)
You donât need to write a masterpiece every day. But showing up â even for a silly exercise â keeps the creative part of your brain warmed up. Try one of these before your next writing session, and see where it takes you. đ
Some actually useful Questions to get to know your OC better...
âł Whatâs your characterâs biggest fear and how does it screw up their relationships? Are they terrified of being abandoned? Do they push people away before they can leave? Are they scared of not being enough? Or being too much?
âł Whatâs something theyâre stupidly passionate about, and how does it drive their entire life? Like that thing theyâd fight someone over. That core belief, hobby, or dream that lowkey fuels every decision they make (even when they say it doesnât).
âł Whatâs one childhood memory they canât shake and how did it shape the way they see the world now?
âł What weird habits or quirks make them totally them? Do they always talk with their hands? Hum when theyâre nervous? Refuse to eat foods that touch?
âł Do they have a secret talent no one expects? Like, are they surprisingly great at card tricks? Can they play the piano at concert level but never talk about it? Bake the worldâs best banana bread?
âł How do they handle failure?
âł Whoâs had the biggest impact on their life, and why? Friend, enemy, sibling, teacher, ex?
âł What do they believe in, deep down? Like, whatâs their moral compass? What lines wonât they cross? What kind of person are they trying to be, even if they mess up along the way?
âł Is there an item or feature theyâre weirdly attached to? A necklace? A hoodie? A scar? A pair of old sneakers?
ⳠDo they have recurring dreams or nightmares? And what do those dreams mean? What are they trying not to deal with while awake?
Emotional Walls Your Character Has Built (And What Might Finally Break Them)
(How your character defends their soft core and what could shatter it) Because protection becomes prison real fast.
ⶠSarcasm as armor. (Break it with someone who laughs gently, not mockingly.)
ⶠHyper-independence. (Break it with someone who shows up even when theyâre told not to.)
ⶠStoicism. (Break it with a safe space to fall apart.)
ⶠFlirting to avoid intimacy. (Break it with real vulnerability they didnât see coming.)
ⶠGhosting everyone. (Break it with someone who wonât take silence as an answer.)
ⶠLying for convenience. (Break it with someone who sees through them but stays anyway.)
ⶠAvoiding touch. (Break it with accidental, gentle contact that feels like home.)
ⶠOversharing meaningless things to hide real depth. (Break it with someone who asks the second question.)
ⶠOverworking. (Break it with forced stillness and the terrifying sound of their own thoughts.)
ⶠPretending not to care. (Break it with a loss they canât fake their way through.)
ⶠAvoiding mirrors. (Break it with a quiet compliment that hits too hard.)
ⶠTurning every conversation into a joke. (Break it with someone who doesnât laugh.)
ⶠBeing everyoneâs helper. (Break it when someone asks what they need, and waits for an answer.)
ⶠConstantly saying âIâm fine.â (Break it when they finally scream that theyâre not.)
ⶠRunning. Always running. (Break it with someone who doesnât chase, but doesnât leave, either.)
ⶠIntellectualizing every feeling. (Break it with raw, messy emotion they canât logic away.)
ⶠTrying to be the strong one. (Break it when someone sees the weight theyâre carrying, and offers to help.)
ⶠHiding behind success. (Break it when they succeed and still feel empty.)
ⶠAvoiding conflict at all costs. (Break it when silence causes more pain than the truth.)
ⶠFocusing on everyone elseâs healing but their own. (Break it when they hit emotional burnout.)
Toxic family stuff isnât always screaming matches or broken plates. Sometimes itâs quiet control. The expectation to shrink, the pressure to be perfect, the guilt that rides shotgun. Itâs complicated. And itâs deeply, deeply personal.
⧠Make the love real, but conditional.  One of the most damaging things about toxic family is the illusion of love. Itâs not âI love you no matter what.â Itâs âI love you when you obey.â Let your character notice that.
⧠Control shows up in micro ways... Whoâs allowed to speak. Whoâs allowed to feel. Who apologizes first, even when theyâre not wrong. Control doesnât need to be loud. Sometimes itâs a raised eyebrow or a guilt trip.
⧠ Let them question reality. Toxic families are great at gaslighting. Your character might constantly wonder, Was it really that bad? Am I being dramatic? Let them doubt their own memories. That internal confusion is real.
⧠The guilt will be crushing. Leaving a toxic family doesnât feel empowering at first. It feels selfish. It feels wrong. It feels like betrayal, even when it's survival. Show your character grieving the fantasy of the family they wish they had.
⧠Let them try to earn love. Your character might work their ass off trying to âbe good,â hoping maybe this time theyâll be enough. Toxic families move the goalposts. Let that break them a little.
⧠Show emotional whiplash... One moment everything is warm and nostalgic. The next, itâs tense and full of landmines. That unpredictability is the dynamic. Use it.
⧠Donât make the villain cartoonish. Even the abuser might think theyâre doing whatâs best. They might bake cookies and say âIâm just worried about you.â Thatâs what makes it so damaging. Write them like people, flawed, manipulative, real.
⧠Let your character unlearn in layers. Even after they leave, they still flinch. Still fold under pressure. Still crave approval. Recovery isnât clean. But itâs worth it. And when they finally say no, even just once, let it be electric.
When a Character is Falling in Love but Doesnât Trust It
Love is terrifying. Especially for characters whoâve been hurt, shut down, or raised to believe vulnerability is weakness. So when they start falling? It doesnât look like a Disney montage. It looks like panic in slow motion.
⧠They start noticing everything and it unsettles them.
The way their voice cracks when they laugh. The way their fingers tap when theyâre thinking. These little details burrow in and refuse to leave. And that awareness makes the character feel exposed.
â§Â They become hyperaware of their own body.
Where their hands are. How close theyâre standing. If theyâre blushing. Itâs like being inside a body thatâs betraying them constantly.
⧠They act a little mean.
Not because they are mean. But because being cold is safer than being real. Sarcasm, distance, teasing, they use it like armor.
⧠They hate how much they want to share things.
Theyâll see a funny meme and instinctively want to send it. Then stop. No. Donât get attached. They want to tell them about a childhood memory, then bite it back. Too personal.
⧠They become inconsistent.
Warm one moment, distant the next. Showing up, then pulling away. Theyâre testing how much of themselves they can reveal before it feels like too much.
⧠They assume the worst.
They know it wonât last. That this person will leave. That theyâre misreading everything. Love doesnât feel safe, it feels like a countdown to pain.
⧠They self-sabotage.
Pick fights. Flake on plans. Pull away emotionally just to âprotect themselvesâ before it goes wrong. Itâs tragic and messy and real.
⧠They notice silence more.
What wasnât said. A delayed reply. A joke that didnât land. Everything becomes a sign that maybe this love thing was a mistake.
⧠They want to run, but never do.
The desire to bolt is constant. But they donât. Because something about this person is pulling them back, despite every warning bell going off in their head.
â§Â They donât trust the feeling, but they keep falling anyway.
And thatâs what makes it beautiful. And heartbreaking. Because they donât want to fall. But they do. And maybe, just maybe, thatâs the bravest thing theyâve ever done.
"Every writer knows it, a writer's block sets in, and you feel completely paralyzed. Whenever I feel that, I google for some good prompts and try to make something out of them. Here are some easy ones I found.
Write about a vivid childhood memory. Describe the sights, sounds, and emotions you experienced.
Imagine you wake up one day with a superpower. What is it, and how do you use it?
Write a letter to your future self. What advice would you give, or what questions would you ask?
Describe your ideal day from start to finish. What would you do, where would you go, and who would you spend it with?
Create a short story that begins with the sentence: "It was a dark and stormy nightâŠ"
Write a conversation between two strangers who meet on a long train journey. What do they talk about?
Explore the life of a book on a library shelf. What does it witness, and how does it feel about being there?
Imagine a world where animals can talk. Write a dialogue between a human and their pet.
Write a poem about your favorite season and the feelings it evokes in you.
Choose a painting, photograph, or piece of artwork and write a story inspired by it.
Describe a place you've never been to but have always wanted to visit. What draws you to this place?
Write a story that starts with the line: "The door creaked open, revealing a room filled with secrets."
Write a monologue from the perspective of an elderly person reflecting on their life.
Create a dialogue between two characters who have very different worldviews. How do they clash or find common ground?
Write about a random object you see in your immediate surroundings, giving it a backstory and significance.
Imagine you are a detective investigating a mysterious disappearance. Describe your thought process and discoveries.
Write a letter of apology from a fictional character to another character for something they did in the past.
Write a humorous story about a misadventure during a family vacation.
Describe a moment when you felt truly inspired and motivated. What led to that feeling, and what did you do as a result?
Write a scene where a character receives a surprising and life-changing piece of news. How do they react?
Ways I Show a Character is Emotionally Burned Out (Before They Even Realize It Themselves)
I love writing characters who think theyâre fine but are actually walking emotional house fires with bad coping mechanisms.
They stop doing the things they used to love and donât even notice. Their guitar gathers dust. Their favorite podcast becomes background noise. Their hobbies feel like homework now.
They pick the path of least resistance every time, even when it hurts them. No, they donât want to go to that thing. No, they donât want to talk to that person. But whateverâs easier. Thatâs the motto now.
Theyâre tired but canât sleep. Or they sleep but wake up more tired. Classic burnout move: lying in bed with their brain racing like a toddler on espresso.
They give other people emotional advice they refuse to take themselves. âYou have to set boundaries!â they sayâwhile ignoring 8 texts from someone they shouldâve cut off three emotional breakdowns ago.
They cry at something stupidly small. Like spilling soup. Or a dog in a commercial. Or losing their pen. The soup is never just soup.
They say âIâm just tiredâ like itâs a personality trait now. And not likeâŠÂ emotionally drained to the bone but afraid to admit it out loud.
They ghost people they love, not out of malice, but because even replying feels like too much. Social battery? Absolutely obliterated. Texting back feels like filing taxes.
They stop reacting to big things. Catastrophes get a blank stare. Disasters feel like âjust another Tuesday.â The well of feeling is running dry.
They avoid being alone with their own thoughts. Constant noise. TV always on. Music blasting. Because silence = reckoning, and reckoning is terrifying.
They start hoping something will force them to stop. An accident. A missed deadline. Someone else finally telling them, âYou need a break.â Because asking for help? Unthinkable.
Accidentally writing a manuscript full of info dumping is every writerâs worst nightmare. Info dumping can distract your readers from the heart of your story and destroy their immersion. Unsure how to accurately describe your storyâs setting without info dumping? Here are some tips to get you started.Â
Tip One: Pace YourselfÂ
Itâs important to have the right pace when you describe your storyâs setting. This helps ensure you give your readers an accurate mental image of your setting and characters without boring them with too many details.Â
One easy way to accomplish this is by dividing your information based on the scene.Â
For example, if youâre writing a scene where a new character walks into the room and find yourself info dumping their appearance, try dividing bits and pieces of their description. Start with a simple description of their general characteristics, maybe their clothes are a certain colour or their face looks worn and tired.Â
Only move on to describe more details once your scene progresses. Your protagonist could maybe notice how their green eyes glint in the sunlight when they take a seat on the chair beside the window. Or they could unbutton a very expensive coat when they take a seat, with the clothing indicating their status.Â
This technique can also be employed for layouts and room descriptions. Maybe your protagonist walks into a very expensive ballroom with large bay windows but only notices the breathtaking view on the other side of the glass when they take a break from their dancing.Â
Tip Two: Only Mention Whatâs Relevant
If writers always only wrote about what was relevant to their storyâs plotline, info dumping wouldnât be a thing. Itâs easy to get excited when youâre writing your WIP. After all, there are so many different things you want to show your readers to make them understand the complexities of your tale. But writers can often find themselves info dumping because of this.Â
Hereâs something you probably didnât want to hear: your readers donât need to know everything about your book.Â
Itâs an annoying truth, but something you need to come to terms with when writing.Â
As mentioned in my previous blogs posts, itâs important to know how much of your worldbuilding should be shown in your book and when to mention which parts of your worldbuilding.Â
For example, saying a new character had a tortured look in their deep grey eyes that reminded your protagonist of the rumours of their childhood might be intriguing, but itâs important to consider whether or not that little piece of information is relevant to the current scene.Â
If a piece of description or information isnât relevant to whatâs going on in your current chapter then consider cutting it out to eliminate any info dumping. This is especially important during fast-paced scenes such as fights or emotional revelations.Â
Tip Three: Set A (Word) Limit
If youâre really struggling with info dumping then try setting a limit to restrict how much you write. Go back to any parts of your WIP that you think have a bit of info dumping and check how many words or paragraphs that part has, then set a goal for how many words/paragraphs you want it to be. Paste that particular text into a different document and start snipping away at unnecessary information or wordy areas until you reach your desired word or paragraph count.Â
You can also do this for scenes that are overly descriptive. Following the previous examples, if you have a scene where your protagonist walks into a new room or a new character makes an appearance then try cutting out bits of the initial description and relocating them to a later part of your scene in order to meet your desired word limit.Â
Tip Four: Get PoeticÂ
Do you know when people donât mind long descriptions? When they are poetic and paint a vivid image in their head. These types of descriptions can help immerse your reader before you move into the heart of your scene.Â
It doesnât have to be long or overly dramatic, but a good piece of description can help you set your scene without accidentally info dumping.Â
However, this tip should be used sparsely throughout your book in order to ensure you donât constantly break your readerâs immersion. Itâs important to ensure your poetic descriptions actually tie into the heart of your chapter. For example, donât go describing a characterâs hair poetically if that character only showed up to tell your protagonist something.Â
I hope this blog on how to set the scene without info dumping will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday. Â
Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks?Â
Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Hayaâs book blog where I post writing and marketing tools for authors every Monday and Thursday.Â
Want to learn more about me and my writing journey? Visit my social media pages under the handle @hayatheauthor where I post content about my WIP The Traitorâs Throne and life as a teenage author.
