Every weekday I post a set of poetry prompts on poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com and a set of story prompts on the script, novel and short story blogs.
*** If you love these prompts (or are looking to improve your writing or submit a manuscript), do take a look at seven my online courses… six are half-price (using coupon codes) and the other is FREE! I also provide an inexpensive editing and critique service with a free 1,000-word sample for when you’ve written your pieces! ***
Following on from this, here are some exercises, one per day (or you could mix them!) to write non-fiction (or fictional) pieces about…
- Monday 14th August: standing outside the office
- Tuesday 15th August: Brussels sprouts in Brussels
- Wednesday 16th August: grabbing the remote control
- Thursday 17th August: this picture
- Friday 18th August: standing on the podium
- Saturday 19th August: a pay rise or promotion
- Sunday 20th August: pick an item from this week’s news
Tips
- Don’t forget your five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, smell
- Colours: Include at least one colour in your story. It does add depth.
- Use strong verbs and avoid adverbs: have someone striding instead of walking confidently.
- Only use repetition to emphasise.
- When you’ve finished the first draft, read the piece aloud. It’s surprising how many ‘mistakes’ leap out at you when you read out loud… assuming you have any of course! You could then submit your piece to somewhere listed on Submissions – non-fiction.
- And there are loads more writing tips on https://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/writing-101.
Picture above courtesy of morguefile.com / pixabay.com
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I wrote a crime lad lit novella (48,000 words) called Hitman Sam in 2008 and over the years, edited it, left it to marinate, re-edited it, put it back, then finally this year (2016), I edited it again and sent it to my beta readers who were kind enough to give me their feedback which led to more alterations and finally, on November 2nd, it was published!
It is available for 99c / 99p (or the equivalent in your country) via http://mybook.to/HitmanSam (links to Amazon in your country) or directly via Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com etc. but before you rush over to purchase this quirky novella, do read on to find out more about it…
Blurb: Newly-redundant software designer Sam Simpson is looking for a new adventure – a cryptic advert in his local paper gives him that, and more. With two women vying for his affection, going behind their backs isn’t the smartest things he’s ever done.
This follows on just a month after my crime mystery novella, After Jessica, was published. Yay! Details below…
The second book I wrote, back in 2009, was After Jessica, a crime mystery novella published in October 2016. You can download this novella for just 99c / 99p via http://mybook.to/AfterJessica (which links to the Amazon page in your country) or directly from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com etc.
Tagline: Wind up his late sister’s affairs, Simon gets more than he bargains for.
Blurb: Jessica is an ordinary girl who comes across extraordinary circumstances and pays for them with her life. As well as identifying her body, her brother Simon then has to wind up her affairs but gets more than he bargains for. Who is Alexis, and why are Veronica and Daniel searching for her? Why is there a roll of cash in Jessica’s house, and what’s the connection between Simon’s sister and Alexis?
