Fall is Here!
Are you caught up in that back-to-school feeling and thinking about starting fresh or renewing your creative writing goals? Read on for goal setting tips, a fun exercise, and some writing prompts!
In the previous post, we talked about strategies to cultivate your writing practice and taking small steps to write more. Here is a little journal exercise to visualize your writing practice: As a writer, what would a "perfect" day look like for you?
Ideal Writing Day
Write 1-3 pages describing what an ideal day of writing would entail. Be as detailed as you want to be. When and where would you write that day? In the morning, afternoon, or evening? Would you have a dedicated space to write? Would you go outside? What are the tools you would use (pen and paper, laptop, a typewriter if you're feeling fancy?) Daydream away!
Minimum Writing Day
Next, think about what a day with the tiniest bit of writing would look like. This scenario is what you would do when you have absolutely no time or energy for writing, but you still want to include some writing in your day. What does this look like? Write for three minutes? Jot down an idea you have or a character you're thinking bout?
Is the goal a number of words, or an amount of time you'll spend writing? Where would you fit it in? Would it be after you wake up, when you have a break at work, when you're waiting in line, or whenever you find yourself with a free five minutes? This minimum list can set a daily goal for you and it helps you define the "when, where, and how much" you'll write. The "what" is up to you!
Breaking Down a Big Goal
Another example of breaking something big down to suit our individual needs is National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo is coming up in November, and the premise is to write 50,000 words in one month, which translates into 1667 words per day (averaging 2-3 hours of writing per day). That can be intense if we don't have a lot of time or energy in our daily life. But if you want to write consistently, it's important to remind yourself and act as if you simply must get some writing done. We can adjust that goal to something that will work with our lives and schedules: how about 50-100 words per day? By seeing ourselves through a challenge like this, we'll build up confidence and a positive feedback loop to keep our new habit going.
Prompts to try:
-
Write about someone experiencing the leaves changing color for the first time ever.
-
If your culture has a special way of welcoming autumn or celebrating autumn equinox, write a short story about that day: what happens, and what the daily activities are.
-
Practice describing setting (ex: an empty dining room decorated for Halloween).
-
Describe the home of a villain in your story.
-
Write a short story about a found object.
Enter the Fall Into Fiction 2024 Contest!
If you're interested in sharing your short story or poems, or participate in the Fall Into Fiction Short Story Contest submit your finished work to Short Edition!
For your short story to be reviewed and published to be printed in the Short Edition Dispensers throughout the SJPL branches, submit your short story here.
Get Inspired
Happy writing! Here are some writing books for inspiration and advice.
Add a comment to: Cultivate A Creative Writing Practice- September Goals