Got off to a good start last night and I managed to write quite a bit today with my Instant Writing technique. 920 words, actually, in tiny snippets of time, mainly while waiting - for trains (on the train, of course, waiting to get to my destination) for my daughter's cheese muffins to bake etc. etc. So I thought this evening would be a doddle. 1000 words, in an hour and then off to bed - hit the pillow and snuggle down to slumberland after a 19 hour day.
But would the words come? Heck. Blind panic! This doesn't often happen to me. I don't believe in writer's block. So, I went back to basics, added a list of prompts and as soon as I'd started responding to some of them, I was away. I managed 2000 words. So I'm slightly ahead of my goal and trying to tell myself I mustn't be like the hare - and 'slow and steady wins the race'. Well, steady, anyhow.
And here's what got my brain-engines up and running again.
Writers are always advised to ‘write what they know’. That advice certainly works if you want to write fast and powerful prose. Just imagine somewhere you know well.
THE SETTING
Close your eyes and imagine your character’s surroundings.
Imagine your character in the same settings as yourself as you go about your daily business.
How do these places feel?
Are they crowded, public spaces?
Deserted streets?
Who else is there?
Are they upmarket or shabby?
Is your character comfortable there?
Do they know the place well?
Are they revisiting – and is it changed or just the same?
What’s the feeling that goes with this place?
What are the memories or present associations?
How do the characters get here?
Does anything regularly happen here eg. a pub where beer is delivered regularly at 6 am? Or a busker turns up on particular days.
What are the Sights, Sounds and Smells (3 S's) of this place?
Why is your character here?
Is it the site of an event?
Is the event in the past, present or future?Why does the event happen here?
