Robert C. Day's Blog, page 60

considering characters

OK Robert, think of a character for a story that is not a stereotype. You have fifteen minutes starting NOW!

A chocolate bar that really wants to be a solid state driveand somewls constantly to all whowould hear (if they had ears) that it would fit in the space in the laptop quite nicely, especially if you ate the first fourchunks and nibbled the end off neat and tidy like. But the audience consisted of two wooden penguins, a spider plant, a crumpled up tissue 20% full of snot and a coaster m...

talking more than types

OK Robert, think of a character for a story that is not a stereotype. You have fifteen minutes starting NOW!

A chocolate bar that really wants to be a solid state drive and somewls constantly to all whowould hear (if they had ears) that it would fit in the space in the laptop quite nicely, especially if you ate the first fourchunks and nibbled the end off neat and tidy like. But the audience consisted of two wooden penguins, a spider plant, a crumpled up tissue 20% full of snot and a coaster...

character and plot

In time the last pod came and the last pea went and I stood, brushed my skirts off, stretchedand walked a few paces away from the homestead. Strange toknow that there were trees out there as far as the eye could have seen – if not for thatthickfog fallen across the world like a curtain.

Asound –metallic– out there in the unseen. I froze – ears straining into the gloom – eyes scanning uselessly

Beingin your own company in a sunny garden with a deep well makes for power, butbeing alone in the g...

writing character

Beggars are generally a friendly lot but I still felt somewhat nervous when I asked him if I could talk to him for a while.

“You’ll have to pay me,” he said roughly, “no-one gives money while someone’s talking to me. I need condensating.”

I doubted that what he said was true, but I threw a fiver into his hat anyway. After all – I was getting something out of the deal. The moment the fiver landed it was whipped out by his wart covered hand.

“No-one givesmoney if they seethat Ialready haveplent...

developing your plot line

“Hello James – I’m on the bus. Meet me at the terminus.”

There was a brief pause as she listened to his reply.

“Yes, yes, alright. I’ll see you there then.”

She snapped the phone shut and slid it inside her bag, pushing the small Pekinese to one side as she did so.”

‘Terrorist.’ I decided.

I had been watching her for a while now. Trailing her along the leafy avenue as she strode along purposefully, dog filled bag bouncing at her hip. Furtively watching her as she waited at the bus stop in her...

what is a plot?

She might have been any one of approximately half of the human race but as soon as I saw her, the quantum field resolved with a faint plop.At least, that’s what I thought the sound was. Turns out that the noxious smell that permeated the bus for the rest of the journey pointed to a simpler explanation – Paula had let one go.

“Oh, I’m so terribly sorry!” said Joan – perhaps worried that her fellow travellers would think that she had soiled herself.

“It’s Paula.” she explained as she pointed, r...

the notebook habit

When people pass mein the street, they generally look at myface. Why is this do you think? Are they looking for myintentions so that they can decide whether to run or attack, smile or frown? Maybe they’re checking to see if they recognise me, but I doubt it – the looks they give are not quite like that.

When I’m walking along and reading a book or checking something on my phone, I notice that people steer straight towards me – it’s almost as if they are trying to force me to acknowledge them....

Things to Include in your Journal

Your journal might include:

general notes and sensory observations of the world around you things you have seen or heard, felt or read – perhaps passages of other people’s writing, or turns of phrase that you admire
words and word-derivations that are new or interesting to you facts that you want to remember lines or phrases that you might use in your work images: postcards, pictures, photographs that are in some way significant to you, perhaps because they conjure up a scene or story that y...

Things Not to do with Soap whilst Showering

What the fu…? Get up! What do you mean you can’t move? Just get up! What is this? One minute you’re stood up singing away and the next minute you’re crumpled up in the bath with your neck hooked over the taps!

Don’t just lay there puzzling up your eyebrows like that, you’ll only get frown lines and Babes ain’t gonna like that! Just think!! You must have slipped and fell or something. Yeah stupeedo – obviously – otherwise why else would you be here?

You know what happened, don’t you, you worth...

generate something new

ThingsNot to do with Soap whilst Showering

What the fu…? How the hell did you get down here? Last thing I remember is that I’m stood up singing away and the next minute there you are crumpled up in the bath with your neck hooked over the taps! No sense in puzzling up your eyebrows like that, you’ll only get frown lines and Babes is not gonna like that! Just think!! You must have slipped and fell or something. Yeah stupeedo – obviously – otherwise why else would you be here?

I know just what y...