What is the Dear Diary Project?

Journalling, Short Fiction, Workshops, Writing, Writing
The Dear Diary project originated as a very basic idea I found on the Wriye forums. The idea was to write a character's journal for thirty days. The idea was originally dubbed '30 Days in the Life of' but I liked the sound of the Dear Diary Project. I thought it was a great idea, so I did two by myself and then began turning it into a workshop on my old blog to help other writers. It helped me develop my characters on a deeper level and get used to writing in their PoVs. To top it all off, I had lots of fun. During the month of September, I will be running the Dear Diary challenge once again. The goal is to write one diary entry--it can be…
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Why Should You Try Nanowrimo?

Novels, Workshops
Are you still debating taking up the great noveling challenge that is Nanowrimo? If so, I'm here to tell you why you should attempt to write a 50, 000 word work of fiction next month. 1. Challenge It's always important to challenge yourself. That's how you grow as a person and as a writer. You might not think you can write 50, 000 words in a month or even 10, 000 words in a month, but you'll never know unless you try. You'll never surpass your expectations if you never challenge yourself. And until you've done it, you'll never know what it feels like to validate your word count on November 30th with ten minutes left. Thousands of people have written their first books with Nanowrimo. Some of these people…
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Apologies and a Final Note

Prompts, Workshops
On Sunday night, in a park just a couple blocks away from my house, my boyfriend and I (and a friend of ours) were robbed at gunpoint. I spent a couple days away from the computer and I've been too tired to do much other than go to school. The workshop is over not by choice but by necessity-it's the end of the month, time to put the finishing touches on your preparations. There isn't a specific exercise today, but it's probably a good idea to do a general brainstorm for your story, maybe write down a couple of things you're sure you want to happen. Stay tuned for a 'Why Everybody Should Try Nanowrimo' post and a 'October 31st: Preparing for Nano' post tomorrow and Sunday. And get ready…
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Characterization

Novels, Prompts, Workshops, Writing
Today's exercise is mostly a prompt. You're going to free write for fifteen minutes about your characters and how they fit into their world. That is, you're going to give each of your major characters (let's say two main characters and two villains) fifteen minutes of free writing time each. You'll be writing in first person, from their PoVs. It's just a self-summary thing. Think of it as if your character were starting a journal. What would their first journal entry look like? Go wild. Remember to consider things like education (how that effects their life and their writing voice) and politics (their political stance and what they think of politicians). Also remember to consider things like how health care or a lack thereof effects your people. People with very…
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Prompt of the Day

Prompts, Workshops
I'll admit that I'm creatively rather burnt out at this point, and I guess you probably are too. Today I've just got a prompt for you. Write a scene in which two of your most important characters learn something shocking to them. 1, 000 words.
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Conflict 101

Novels, Workshops, Writing
Today's exercise is very important but shouldn't take too long. There is no recommended reading today, but I'd highly recommend looking through some of Limyaael's Fantasy Rants. Conflict is the thing that drives your story. It is your character trying to overcome obstacles. Conflict can be man/nature, man/other man, man/woman, or man/himself. The best stories have multiple layers of conflict and tension between characters, and between characters and their environment. Today you're going to figure out the conflict behind your plot. Questions Remember that this is largely a brainstorming exercise. Don't be afraid to branch off in different directions and follow your line of thought to its natural conclusion. These questions should help you figure out your plot. 1. Who is your main character? What is their main goal? Your…
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Promptage!

Prompts, Workshops
I don't have any questions today, most of my effort right now is going into tomorrow's exercise. I do have a prompt for you though: Write about the first time your character experienced violence from another person/saw violence taken out on somebody close to them. Try to make this scene 1, 000 words. It can be ANY character of your choosing.
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Basic Profile Time

Novels, Workshops, Writing
You should have an idea of three or four of your characters by now. Today, you're going to make a basic profile for each of the characters that you have already created. The Basic Profile template is the same as last year: Basic Profile-Template You should be doing this on a lined piece of paper, double-spacing between different sections. This sheet is meant to be a reference for when you are writing. BASIC PROFILE-Character's Name Name: Height: Weight: Eyes: (colour/any unusual traits) Hair: (length, cut, colour) Basic Description: (what someone who saw them on the street would describe this character's appearance) Personality: (3-4 dominant traits in this person) Basic Bio: (1-3 paragraph summary of their past) Prompt Time Write 1, 000 words in which one or more of your characters…
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Mythology 101

Novels, Workshops, Writing
You're not going to be writing any actual myths today-unless you choose to-but it is important to take a look at the mythology of your world. Today's questions are designed to help you make your world a little more complex, and to give any religious characters you might have some more depth. Mythology is my favourite part of worldbuilding, so don't be surprised if this exercise takes you a bit longer than usual. It's not just that it's my favourite-there are a million different things you can explore with mythology. Questions&Recommended Reading ~What do your Gods do in mythology that lend credibility to their character? If you've already done Religion 101, then you have an idea of what your gods represent. A pretty good one at that. Now consider the…
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Law 101

Novels, Prompts, Workshops, Writing
Law exists in every culture, and has existed almost since the dawn of humankind. There are many different kinds of laws. Today we're going to talk about inheritance laws and oppressive laws. Recommended Reading Limyaael's Inheritance Rant talks about the importance of inheritance and the different ways it can operate. Limyaael's Rant on Class/Caste systems talks about class/caste systems and how they operate. Inheritance ~Are families traced via the mother's blood or the father's blood? This will have a profound impact on inheritance. While your inheritance may not directly follow the line to the first born son or daughter, if families are matrilineal it's more likely to go to one of the daughters and if they're patrilineal it will probably go to one of the sons. Llyr is interesting in…
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