The Beginning November 17, 2012
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“Write every day, line by line, page by page, hour by hour. Do this despite fear. For above all else, beyond imagination and skill, what the world asks of you is courage, courage to risk rejection, ridicule and failure. As you follow the quest for stories told with meaning and beauty, study thoughtful but write boldly. Then, like the hero of the fable, your dance will dazzle the world.”
– Robert McKee
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You’ve probably heard it many times before: write every day. In fact, you’re probably sick of hearing it. You hear it all the time from famous authors and those pesky know-it-alls all over the Internet. “Practice makes perfect,” they all say. “You must write 500—1,000—2,000—2,500+ words a day, every day, if you want to improve.”
And of course, you already know all of this. You know you should be writing every day. You know you want to improve, and that the only way you’re going to get any better is if you just write. But how are you supposed to find the time to write every day? And what are you supposed to write about when you have that dreaded writer’s block?
Well, I agree that “writing every day” is easier said than done, especially when you have that damn word count leering at you. But it’s not impossible, because if you’ve heard all of this before, chances are you’ve also heard of writing prompts and exercises. And if you haven’t, let me quickly explain:
A prompt is generally a word, sentence, paragraph, song, picture or topic used as a catalyst for your writing. It is meant to kick-start your creativity and help you come up with ideas to write about. And the beauty of it all is that you can bend them any way you want—you can write a scene, paragraph, poem, short story, or even an whole novel from a single prompt. You can also take a look at the prompt and then go off in an entirely different direction if you want to. There are no rules to writing prompts—they’re here to help inspire words from the depths of your heart and soul. (Too much?)
Writing exercises can be similar to prompts, but they’re usually meant to help you explore different writing techniques, styles, habits, and so on that you may not normally try. Exercises can help you develop your writing voice and rhythm. They can help you improve your dialogue, characters, and plot construction. They're tremendously helpful to someone who is trying to find their personal writing identity, and at the very least, writing exercises are fun.
One reason why I really like prompts and exercises is because they’re easy to do. A single sentence can paint an entire picture in your mind, and your job is to translate that painting into words on the page. Exercises can also help you learn how to find inspiration from different stimuli, while also empowering you to try new things and making you a more flexible writer. And you can spend as much—or as little—time focusing on them as you’d like, making them perfect tools for a writer to use every day.
I understand that writing daily can be a challenge. But I’m exactly like you. I’ve stared at a blank page like it was a brick wall I couldn’t go around or climb over. I’ve rewritten entire chapters over and over and over and over again, feeling as though I’m making no progress at all. And I, too, have glared into the bloodthirsty eyes of that beast they call “Writer’s Block.” (Dun, dun, dun . . .)
And maybe I’m becoming a bit too melodramatic now, but that’s okay. The point I meant to make is that I’ve tried Googling writing tips countless times to unleash the words trapped inside my head; I’ve read books by professionals telling amateurs like myself how to write; I’ve talked to other aspiring authors about their own advice, solutions, and mottos.
And in the end, I’ve discovered that it all comes down to one thing:
Just write.
So that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
My mission is to write using a prompt or an exercise every day.
Yep, that’s right.
Every. Single. Day.
But that’s not all.
My proposal is that you join me on this daily journey.
Yes. You.
Why?
Because I know you love to write as much as I do, and I know how frustrated you get when you feel like your wheels are spinning but you’re getting nowhere.
So let’s do this together. Every day.
I will post a prompt for us to share, and every week I’ll post an exercise. I’ll also include my writing I produced from each prompt, and it would be really cool if you shared yours, too, either in the comments or by personally messaging me. If I really like your creation, I may even include it with the chapter (with your permission, of course) and dedicate it to you.
But that’s not the point. The goal of this is for us to become better and stronger writers. Each day is another stepping stone along the way to refining our craft. With every prompt and exercise, we will be becoming more diverse, fluent, and experienced writers.
And we’ll accomplish all of that—and more—by just writing.
See you tomorrow!
- Eric
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YOU ARE READING
Writing Prompts & Exercises: A Daily Journey
Non-FictionA writing prompt every day.
