R.J. Blain's Blog, page 86

NaNoWriMo 2013 – Writing Challenges – Days 21 and 22

NaNoWriMo Day 21 Challenges

Word Challenge:  protoplast

Definition:

Biology:  A. the contents of a cell within the cell membrane, considered as a fundamental entity. B. the primordial living unit or cell;

a person or thing that is formed first; original; prototype;

the hypothetical first individual or one of the supposed first pair of a species or the like.

  Theme Challenge:  The Need for Speed

One of your characters wants it fast and wants it now – show how haste can have both good and bad consequences on a character’s life.

Plot Challenge:  Driving too Fast

Your characters are in a hurry somewhere, drive too fast, and get into a car accident. Play with the consequences of what such an accident would do to your current plotline.

Character Challenge:  The Voice of Reason

Include someone who acts as the voice of reason – the catch? This character has cried wolf a few too many times. Pursue how someone might overcome this problem.

Conflict Challenge:  Cry Wolf

A character known for crying wolf knows something important. No one believes him or her. Deal with how this would bring conflict into the group.

Fun & Games: Cloning Experiment

 A character is cloned without their knowledge and is then forced to raise the young version of themself.

 

NaNoWriMo Day 22 Challenges

Word Challenge:  abecedarian

Definition:  pertaining to the alphabet; rudimentary; a beginner

  Theme Challenge: Start at Zero

 Friendships crumble apart. Sometimes they’re never recovered. Sometimes, however, people decide to start again from zero. Pursue the idea of rebooting and restarting a friendship from zero.

Plot Challenge:  Arsonist

Someone is setting fires. Most of them are harmless – trashcans outside of stores. But each one is growing in intensity… who is setting them? Why?

Your characters are driven to distraction because these fires are creeping closer and closer to home…

Character Challenge:  Nod to Your Inspirations

 Create a minor character loosely based off of a character from a fictional work that has inspired you. Make this character original to you and your work.

Conflict Challenge:  Pride & Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice are two characteristics of people known to cause a lot of problems. Write about your characters having to deal with both of these things within their close circle of friends.

Fun & Games: 11 foot pole

 Your characters acquire an 11 foot pole. They’re asked to watch over it. Its name is ‘Laddy’. What do they do with it?

NaNoWriMo 2013 – Writing Challenges – Day 20

NaNoWriMo Day 20 Challenges

Word Challenge:  pugnacious

Definition:  combative; quarrelsome

  Theme Challenge:  Degradation

All things crumble with time, including relationships, buildings, shorelines… write about the cause and consequences of degradation in your story; it can be within a relationship, or the state of physical objects.

Plot Challenge:  Velociraptors

Include a velociraptor or another dinosaur in your novel, making its presence a focal point of a plot element. (If you don’t want to raise extinct species from the grave, get creative with their bones, in museums, or at fossil digs…)

Character Challenge:  Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe…

 A character announces they are going to be getting married. Pursue how this can change the dynamics of a friendship – even if someone else loved the character and wanted to be with them.  Include all elements of the bride’s rhyme for good luck…

… and have nothing but bad luck happen to them and their fiancé.

Conflict Challenge:  Naughty Photographs

A stalker has taken to photographing one of your characters in photos that can be easily construed as naughty. They could be coming out of the shower at a public bath or spa, someone has installed hidden cameras in their bathroom… no matter how the culprit has acquired the photographs, use them to blackmail a character into something.

Fun & Games: Odd hobbies

 One of the most mature and responsible people in your cast is discovered to have a strange hobby. Hilarity ensues. (Example: The prim and proper secretary of a CEO participates in planking stunts while dressed up as a hipster.)

NaNoWriMo 2013 – Writing Challenges – Day 19

NaNoWriMo Day 19 Challenges

Word Challenge:  wanderlust

Definition:  the impulse to travel

  Theme Challenge: On the Road…

 Write about the impact of long-term travel on characters and the people they know. Does one of your characters travel for business? Have they been overseas for schools? Have they been in hospital for a long time? Write about the impact of separation on a character and their loved ones.

Plot Challenge:  Once Removed…

 A character is removed from the group of friends, be it for travel (see wanderlust), illness, or even death. Explore the dynamic of the group without this individual, and pursue both the immediate and long-term impact of their removal from the current plotline.

Have your characters consider how things might have gone differently if the missing person had been present.

Character Challenge:  Catch Phrase

 One of your characters develops a speech quirk or catch phrase – of a negative sort. Explore how such a catch phrase can impact the relationships of people, for better or worse.

Conflict Challenge:  Fire, Fire, Burning Bright…

Set something on fire and deal with the consequences of the fire. Your characters need not be the ones who started the fire. Yes, you may set one of your characters on fire. (For this challenge, clothes, hair, or even spontaneous combustion count.)

Fun & Games: Poetry

One of your characters picks up the hobby of writing bad poetry. Pursue.

Bonus: The character who has started the hobby of bad poetry writes a good poem and shocks everyone as a result.

NaNoWriMo 2013 – Writing Challenges – Days 16, 17, and 18

NaNoWriMo Day 16-17-18 Challenges

Sorry for being late with these — crazy weekend for me.

#1 Word Challenge:  Distrait

Definition:  divided or withdrawn in attention, especially because of anxiety

#2 Word Challenge:  Exegete

Definition:  one who explains or interprets difficult parts of a written work

#3 Word Challenge:  esurient

Definition:  hungry; greedy

Theme Challenge:  

Plot Challenge:  The Rule of Threes exists in many fields. Your challenge is to present three forms of the rules of threes as plot elements in your novel. Have each one of the rules of threes impact three different plotlines.

Bonus points if you manage to tie all three of the rules of threes (and their plots) together.

The Rule of Threes:

Writing: The Rule of Threes in writing suggests that when things appear in groups of three, they are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than when presented in other numbers.

Religious: (Wiccan) Also known as the Law of Return; Three-fold Law: The basics of the rule states that whenever someone does something (or puts energy into the world), be it positive or negative, it’ll come back to them three times. This is considered (by some) to be a variant of karma, although in karma’s originating religions, it doesn’t apply three times.

Aviation: For every 1,000 feet of descent, 3 miles should be travelled.

Medicine: In science (clinical trials, experiments) it is stated that the rule of three is if a certain event did not occur within a subject group, the chance of not suffering from adverse side effects is 95%. Essentially, if 300 parachutes are tested, and all of them deploy, it is given a 95% rating; or, according to the ‘rule of three’, fewer than 1/100 (or 3/300) chance.

There are fancy math formulas that determine the ‘three’ element of this rule, but it looks a little something like this: −ln(0.05) = ln(20) = 2.9957 ≈ 3.

Mathematical: The Rule of Three in mathematics is a version of shorthand cross multiplication. It’s rather notorious for being difficult to explain.

Programming: If a set of code is used three times in a program, it should be replaced with a new procedure.

Survival: (Averaged, extreme situations): 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food.

Character Challenge:  Threes Company

 Either by creating new characters or using old ones, create a three-way dynamic between a group of characters. This doesn’t mean a love triangle, although this is a potential option.

Ideally, you will create a personality wheel and select three character types from conflicting sections of the circle, with one character more of a median character. Alternatively, you can create characters with triplicate representations – ie, Ghost of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, Christmas Future….

These three characters must share something that ties them all together. They can’t be birds of a feather. They must contrast.

After all, water and gasoline might not mix, but if you add a little fire, cool things can happen.

Use this exercise as a way to delve deeper into the relationships between your characters.

Conflict Challenge:  The Past, the Present, the Future

#1: Create a minor plot event in your novel. Add it somewhere to the beginning or prior to the beginning of your novel as a past event. (If used in the beginning, it should be limited to the first scene of the book.)

This event should serve as a catalyst. It can be something simple, such as a character buys a nice pair of earrings she likes to wear often.

#2: How does the minor thing from the past impact the present? In the scene or chapter you are currently working on, include references to the thing from the past making an impact on the present. In the earring example, someone who really likes the earrings comments on them; these two characters could become friends…

#3: … in the future, towards the end of the novel, write about how a little event (like someone becoming friends over a pair of earrings) turns into something much bigger; tie the little event to the closure of the conflicts in your novels. (In the earrings example, the new friend can become a key player in the novel’s resolution – someone they never would have become friends with if the one character didn’t have their earrings…)

Fun & Games:

#1: Cursed by Pigeons: A flock of pigeons have taken to one of your characters. Pursue how this fiendish flock can ruin someone’s day (and the paint job on their car.)

#2: In for a Penny… a character keeps finding pennies on the ground. How does the character react to this? Does the trail of pennies lead to something interesting?

Bonus if you use this plot device in a place that no longer has pennies.

#3: Day trip to the zoo! Have your characters go wild.

NaNoWriMo 2013 – Writing Challenges – Day 15

NaNoWriMo Day 15 Challenges

Word Challenge:  Delinquent

Definition:

adjective
1: failing in or neglectful of a duty or obligation; guilty of a misdeed or offense.
2: (of an account, tax, debt, etc.) past due; overdue.
3: of or pertaining to delinquents or delinquency: delinquent attitudes.
noun
1: a person who is delinquent.
2: juvenile delinquent.

 

Theme Challenge:  Running Late

 Some people just never make it on time anywhere. Write about the ongoing impact of this sort of behavior by including a character with this trait. Turn it into a theme by having it become a recurring issue in your novel.

Plot Challenge:  Choosing Priorities

 Introduce a situation where a character has to make a serious and significant decision. There is no right choice in this decision; no matter what choice the character has to make, something bad will happen to someone good. For example, two really nice people want to take character somewhere the same day / time – both are really nice people, but someone’s feelings will get hurt. How will your character decide which choice to make?

Tie this decision to your main plot line if possible.

Character Challenge:  A Delinquent Child

 Delinquent has many meanings; introduce a child into the lives of your characters who meets up to one of the definitions of delinquent.

Conflict Challenge:  A Haunting Past

Characters always have something they haven’t told the others about. Reveal the backstory of one character by having their past come back to haunt them in a severe, dangerous way. It can be in the form of an ex turned stalker, or someone out for a little revenge….

Fun & Games: Sleeping In…

Sometimes, people just get tired. Too tired to get out of bed on time. One of your characters is really tardy getting out of bed, and has to hurry to get to somewhere… shenanigans happen. Have fun with this, in a humorous way.

NaNoWriMo 2013 – Writing Challenges – Day 14

NaNoWriMo Day 14 Challenges

Word Challenge:  proselytize

Definition:  To convert (someone) to another religion, belief, and so on

  Theme Challenge: Faltering Faith

 Religion and belief, or the lack thereof, often plays a significant role in someone’s life. Explore what happens when someone’s beliefs are challenged – and they fail to maintain their faith.

Plot Challenge:  Mixing Religion & Politics

 Many people say mixing religion and politics is among one of the worst things you can do. Prove it. One of your characters should get caught in a battle royal between strong supporters of conflicting religious and political groups. Explore the consequences of this clash on outsiders to the groups.

Involve your antagonist is this clash.

Character Challenge:  The Good, the Bad, and the Uncertain

 Every group of people, be it a religious organization, a political party, or even kids in a baseball team have those who are good at what they do, bad at what they do, and uncertain of their role in the whole thing. Put three people who fall into these categories in a position where their beliefs or skills are challenged.

Explore how three different types of people can react to the same situation.

Conflict Challenge:  When the right choice has the worst consequences

One of your main characters finds out that one of their best friends has been participating in a very unsavory activity. (This can be anything ranging from theft to murder or any other foul deed you can think of.)

The obvious right choice is to turn them in. However, should they do so, they will lose their friend – and that person will face long-term incarceration.

Pursue how the right decision is often the hardest one to have to make.

Fun & Games: Water Balloon Fight

 Kinds decide to have a little fun at your characters’ expense. Your characters decide that instead of lying there and taking the water balloons without a fight, they will jump into the childish fray.

Even abused characters need to have some fun!

NaNoWriMo 2013 – Writing Challenges – Day 13

NaNoWriMo Day 13 Challenges

Word Challenge:  Supercilious

Definition:  disdainfully arrogant

  Theme Challenge:  Desire & Greed

 One of your characters has something another character really wants. It’s a little thing (like a stuffed animal) but it turns into a big deal among the friends. Discuss how greed and desire can impact the relationships of people.

Plot Challenge:  Octopus

An octopus crashes the party. Include a situation where an octopus gets involved with the characters. (You might find an octopus in an aquarium or on the beach.) The octopus might do things like spray ink, wrap its tentacles around a character’s arm or leg, or pull a kraken and destroy a ship. (Because kraken octopuses are awesome.)

Either way, get creative and find a way to include an octopus in your novel.

Character Challenge:  Mental Illness

 Mental illness is a common problem. It can be depression, split personality disorder, or even a rarer psychopathy. In any case, have one of your characters develop a mental illness, and pursue the consequences of this illness on the character and those around him or her.

Conflict Challenge:  Ending of a Friendship

Friendships often do not survive conflict. It can be a little trigger or a big one, but in any case, create a situation where two of your characters cease being friends as a result. These two individuals are forced to work together as a circumstance, but what used to be the love of friends has now become the hatred of enemies.

Pursue the natural conflicts of having these two people work together whether they like it or not.

Fun & Games: A Favorite Mug, Broken

 Someone has broken a character’s favorite mug. Include a miniature investigation to find out the true murderer of the mug.

NaNoWriMo 2013 – Writing Challenges – Day 12

NaNoWriMo Day 12 Challenges

Word Challenge:  paroxysm

Definition:  Any sudden, violent outburst; a fit of violent action or emotion. (Pathology) A severe attack of sudden increase in intensity of a disease, usually recurring periodically.

  Theme Challenge: Impact of Illness

 Illness, especially chronic, long-term illness, can have a huge impact on people – both of the patient and those around them. Delve into a character being diagnosed with a long-term illness. (It can be curable.)

How can illness change the perceptions of people?

Plot Challenge:  Stolen from Charity

 A high-end charity organization is doing a fundraiser. Something valuable is being auctioned off. One of the characters needs this item, be it due to antagonist intervention or greed. What lengths will they go to acquire this item – and will they steal from a charity to accomplish their goals?

Character Challenge:  Explosive Personality

 Introduce a character with an explosive personality. They mean well, but they are a volatile spirit; anything can and will trigger an outburst. This person, however, has very useful skills, and when they aren’t blowing their tops like an active volcano, they’re quite likeable.

Conflict Challenge:  Master of Serendipity

One of your characters is prone to losing important things, and finding them a short time later through the art of serendipity (an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident; good fortune; luck.)  This time, however, they’ve lost something really important and serendipity isn’t helping them locate it. Write about a character who relies on good luck having to accomplish something with nothing but bad luck on their side.

Fun & Games: Mind Games

Make one of your characters afraid of ghosts. Your other characters spend an evening in a spooky location playing mind games on the intended victim.

The intended victim should play hardball and do something to equally spook out your other characters.

NaNoWriMo 2013 – Writing Challenges – Day 11

NaNoWriMo Day 11 Challenges

Word Challenge:  gregarious

Definition:  Seeking and enjoying the company of others; trending to form a group with overs of the same kind.

  Theme Challenge: Misery Loves Company

Pursue how the bad mood of one character can influence an entire group of people.

Plot Challenge:  Embarrassing Position

 We all do something stupid every now and then. Your character does something stupid. This results in them being stuck in an unfortunately embarrassing position. This can include being stuck up in a tree, wedged in a too-tight space, and similar embarrassing ways someone can get stuck. The character should require rescuing.

Bonus points: It’s so embarrassing that the antagonist rescues him or her.

Character Challenge:  Spoiling for a Fight

 One of your characters is in a really bad mood and is spoiling for a fight. Get them into a situation where they bite off more than they can chew in terms of verbal debate and arguments.

Bonus: Pick the quietest character to be the victor of the argument.

Conflict Challenge:  In Fighting

Your characters have things to do, but they are too busy bickering amongst themselves to get it done. Pursue how their delaying to bicker impacts their ultimate goals.

Fun & Games: For Pony!

One of your characters utters a silly war cry. Like, “For pony!” This war cry should evoke startled confusion from any who hear him or her.

NaNoWriMo 2013 – Writing Challenges – Day 10

NaNoWriMo Day 10 Challenges

Word Challenge:  Procrastination

Definition:  the act delaying or postponing something; to delay

  Theme Challenge: Empowerment

 Empowerment comes in many forms, ranging from self-empowering acts to empowering someone else. Explore how giving strength to one’s self or to others can make dramatic changes to a person or a group of people.

Plot Challenge:  Uncomfortable Situations

 Books are often a place authors can pursue those touchy little subjects. Have your characters be forced to deal with an uncomfortable situation. It can be discovering a woman in an abusive relationship, prejudice in a situation they did not expect, or anything society deems as uncomfortable to talk about.

Explore how this encounter can change the perspective of a character.

Character Challenge:  Dealing with Prejudice

 It often comes as a surprise when someone has to directly deal with being the subject of prejudice, especially when the character is of a majority class. Deal with the ramifications of a majority-class character dealing with being the subject of prejudice.

Bonus: The prejudice comes from a source the character doesn’t expect, be it a close family member or a best friend.

Conflict Challenge:  Don’t wanna go!

 Almost everyone has dealt with being invited to a party of event they just don’t want to go to. Include this as a conflict challenge in your novel. This should be an event a character is really against going to, but doesn’t want to upset the person inviting them or has an extremely important reason they must attend.

This can be something like a steadfast atheist having to attend a Baptism, as one example.

Fun & Games: Blow Something Up.

 … and include glitter.