Challenges and activities |
A blog on my personal writing process. Just random thoughts, notes, and other stuff. Don’t know yet what that will be like. Am exploring possibilities and pulse towards an unknown future. Let’s find out! Here are challenges and activities stored. "Game of Thrones" 2017 "The Soundtrack of Your Life" 2020 "Resurrection Jukebox" 2020 "NaNoWriMo Write-A-Thon" 2020/21 "The Fiction Writer's Toolbox" 2020 "October Novel Prep Challenge" 2021(The Shanhaijing Prophecy) Neil Gaiman's Masterclass 2019 "a very Wodehouse challenge" 2024 Template Worldbuilding 2024 |
Prompt 14: Write an acrostic poem about Jane Austen. Jane Austen Jane Austen Austen, Jane Now starring in this poem Emma, a great story And Pride and Prejudice Under the stars of romance Singeling out strong women To tell a compelling tale English novelist, wote 6 Novels, Jane Austen LC:10 |
Prompt 13: Write what you like about the novel Emma. I have read the book Emma by Jane Austen a long time ago. Perhaps twenty-five or thirty years ago. So, I cannot remember much and don't have the book at home. So all depends on me doing research and Google. A week's deadline is also too short to deliver the book from the library. It'll have to do. I remember liking the book because Emma is an independent young, rich woman who doesn't want to commit her life to a man and marry, at first. It is a bit of a feminist and psychological novel. She thinks she is good at matchmaking and meddling in other people's love life. At the end of the book, she falls for the man she put up a female friend with. Something like that. WC: 592 characters/120 words |
Prompt 11: Does any of Downton Abbey's male characters make for a good Darcy? Gay Thomas Barrow, Tom Branson, or Matthew Crawley? Downton Abbey is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century. The series, set on the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey between 1912 and 1926, depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants in the post-Edwardian era, and the effects the great events of the time have on their lives and the British social hierarchy. (Wikipedia). I binge-watched the whole series and the movie. Fitzwilliam Darcy is a very arrogant man of England's upper crust. He is lord of Pemberley, an expensive estate in the county of Derbyshire. He is fairly tall and handsome, but his demeanor is unfriendly, aloof, and unapproachable. In the book Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen describes him as a very disagreeable man, but as the book progresses he is loving and kind. Mr. Darcy struggles with pride and prejudice towards those of lower social standing, especially those who lack propriety. That's when Tom Branson of Downton Abbey comes in. He too has issues with social standing marrying Sybil who is upper class and juggling his job as a chauffeur and journalist. I think the only Downton Abbey character that would make a good Mr. Darcey would be Tom Branson. Thomas Barrow is too sinister and Matthew Crawley is too kind. All three of them are in their own way good looking. When I ponder this question long enough, I also tend to look at Thomas Barrow again. So, I am conflicted. Tom or Thomas? WC: 1325 characters/271 words |
Jane Austen Writing Challenge by Princess Megan Rose 22 Years 1. "Jane Austen Writing Challenge" [ASR] Pick 3 challenges > 250 characters Prompt 11: Does any of Downton Abbey's male characters make for a good Darcy? Gay Thomas Barrow, Tom Branson, or Matthew Crawley? Prompt 13: Write what you like about the novel Emma. Prompt 14: Write an acrostic poem about Jane Austen. To be fair, in the Jane Austen August 2019 Newsletter, I am offering a Jane Austen Merit Badge of your choice if you do this challenge. The same rule applies here. 2. "Jane Austen Newsletters Folder 2 " [E] Do 2 reviews > 500 characters "Jane Austen Newsletter January , 2024" [E] "Jane Austen House News May 2024" [E] Information Jane Austen Brittanica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jane-Austen) Jane Austen Website (https://janeausten.co.uk/) Emma Brittanica (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Emma-novel-by-Austen) Thomas Barrow (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfiPulfalLg) sinister character Tom Branson (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwE5t8uYn8Q) Full of pride in the beginning Matthew Crawley (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZEldQZNG1g&t=43s) Too nice and kind Deadline Wodehouse Challenge 2024: September 7th 11.59 pm WdC time. |
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Oct. 30: - CONTEST ROUND: Plot Background Story ▼ Write a story that sets up your plot. EXAMPLE: The Lord of the Rings story revolves around the One Ring, its significance, and how it's destroyed. But how did Frodo get the One Ring in the first place? We learn that in The Hobbit. You obviously can't write a full-scale novel in 15 minutes, but you could write the scene where Bilbo encounters Gollum and stumbles across the ring. That would be a background story that sets up the plot in Lord of the Rings. *Contest Round entries may be any rating. Follow these instructions ("IMPORTANT: How to compete in a Contest Round" ) by 1200 noon WDC time on Sunday to compete. WDC time is New York City time and can be found at the top of the IM Console. If you miss this deadline or choose not to compete, you must still log the assignment complete (without linking your work) for the grand prize, per the standard Prep guidelines. Scene: Where did the Book Shanhaijing come from; how did it end up at the auction? |
Oct. 29: - Plot: Premise Revision ▼ Now that you have spent a month planning your novel, revise your initial premise. Identify the following: (1) Setting(s). Where does your story take place? (2) Protagonist(s). Who is(are) your main character(s)? (2b) Flaw(s). What is(are) the protagonist's major flaw(s)? (2c) Goal(s). What does(d) the protagonist(s) want (or want to avoid)? (3) Conflict(s). What's keeping them from their goal(s)? (4) Antagonist(s). Who or what is creating the conflict(s)? (5) Resolution. How does it all turn out in the end? (6) Theme: What is the theme or moral of the story? (7) Outline: Update your outline as needed. (1) Los Angeles, USA; Beijing, China; inside the Book Shanhaijing |
Oct. 28: - Character: Protagonist Interview ▼ You are a journalist. The story of your novel is complete. Interview your protagonist and ask the following questions: (1) How is life for you now, compared to life prior to these events? (2) How did the events of your story change you? (1)Wolf Meyer: |
Oct. 27: - General: Freestyle Brainstorm, World Building or Research ▼ (1) Spend at least fifteen minutes clarifying things through ""What If"" brainstorming, mind mapping (see resources at the bottom of the calendar), freestyle writing, lists, drawings or research. You may also choose to use this time to finish a previous assignment that needs more time. (2) Update your characters, definitions and settings lists as needed. Freestyle writing for 15 minutes, with the alarm clock. |
Oct. 26: - Character: Minor Character Profiles ▼ (1) Expand or add profiles for one or more minor characters. (2) Spend some time updating your character list with new information, images, etc. One of the minor characters at the beginning of the story is the client Wolf is visiting as an escort. |
Oct. 25: - General: Market Definition and Narrative Voice Synopsis ▼ (1) Identify your story type from this list of story types or define it with your own nomenclature. (2) Describe your target audience. Identify a demographic profile of your ideal reader (try using your character profile template!) Explain in detail what aspects of your novel will appeal to this particular audience and why. Please read this blog post to understand the importance of marketing, and why targeting ""mass appeal"" or ""all readers"" isn't good enough: "Building Your Brand" (3) Write a synopsis of your novel using the same narrative voice you will use to tell the story. Mythodological Mystery meets Horror Fantasy. |
Oct. 23: - CONTEST ROUND: Setting Description. ▼ Describe a setting in words. Use all five senses and make your reader experience the setting as if he or she were there. *Contest Round entries may be any rating. Follow these instructions ("IMPORTANT: How to compete in a Contest Round" ) by 1200 noon WDC time on Sunday to compete. WDC time is New York City time and can be found at the top of the IM Console. If you miss this deadline or choose not to compete, you must still log the assignment complete (without linking your work) for the grand prize, per the standard Prep guidelines. Wolf's house in Los Angeles. |
Oct. 22: - Setting: Settings List ▼ (1) Create a list of settings in a format easy to edit and expand. (2) Add brief descriptions, drawings, images or Google Maps coordinates (find the location on Google Maps/Earth and record the URL) for each. NOTE: You can revise this list at any time, so this revision is not expected to be fully accurate or complete. Settings LIST: |
Oct. 21: - Plot: Outline Revision #3 ▼ (1) Review your plot elements thus far and organize them into your outline. (2) Fill in any gaps in your outline template and/or flesh out more details. A fairly ordinary guy is living his life in Los Angeles with a new dog. He is a bike courier by day and a poet, and a male escort by night treating old ladies a good time. |
Oct. 20: - Plot: Literary Devices ▼ (1) Brainstorm possible solutions to your conflict and complications using the list of literary devices below or your own ideas. (2) Identify a mentor or helper who aids the protagonist(s) in achieving their goals. (3) Identify any other literary devices from the list you could use to enhance your writing. Literary Devices List Foreshadowing: Hints of something to come. Chekhov's Gun: The gun on the wall in Scene 1 is eventually fired. Repetitive Designation: An object or fact appears over and over. Symbolism: Small facts, objects, or characterizations represent something bigger. Self-fulfilling prophecy: Protagonist attempts to thwart prophecy but in attempting, fulfills it. Poetic Justice: Good guys are rewarded and bad guys are punished. Plot Twist: Surprises the reader with something unexpected. False Protagonist: The protagonist dies or turns out to be something other than the protagonist. Red Herring: A false trail diverts the reader's attention from what really happened. Unreliable Narrator: The narrator has been misleading the reader all along. Irony: The exact opposite of what the reader expects happens. Reveal: A hidden connection between characters or facts is revealed in time. Plot Device: Advances the plot forward, often pushing the main character past a hurdle. Object of Power: Either the protagonist wants it, or the object drives the plot of its own accord. MacGuffin: Something the protagonist wants for unknown and unimportant reasons. Quibble: Following the letter of the law, contract, or agreement instead of its intent, changing the outcome. Narrative Hook: Story opening that grab's the reader's attention. Cliffhanger: Ending a scene, chapter or story in the middle of action, hooking the reader. Ticking Clock Scenario: The threat of impending doom if the protagonist's objective is not met. Breaking the Fourth Wall: A character speaks directly to the reader. Or anything from this list: http://literary-devices.com/ (3) I would add CONFLICT: It is a literary device used for expressing a resistance the protagonist of the story finds in achieving his aims or dreams. The conflict is a discord that can have external aggressors or can even arise from within the self. It can occur when the subject is battling his inner discord, at odds with his surroundings or it may be pitted against others in the story. – The conflict between The Book and the rest; The main characters and the monsters; Wolf and Poppy. |
Oct. 19: - Plot: Complications ▼ Complications. Identify additional things that could go wrong for your protagonist. You are not required to resolve any problems yet, just create them. Remember: The more hardships your main character faces, the more readers will cheer them on, and the more engaged and invested the reader will be in your story. Brainstorm a list of problems you could throw at your protagonist(s) throughout the story, using ""What If,"" mind mapping (see the resources at the bottom of the calendar), freestyle writing, or any other form of brainstorming you prefer. Hint: Other characters are a great source of realistic strife, since characters often are driven by conflicting motivations. *** NEED DISASTERS? See the Plot Twists generator at the bottom of the calendar. *Down* What if |
Oct. 18: - Setting: Cultural Setting ▼ Describe the cultural, political and/or religious setting in your novel, regardless of whether the cultural setting is fictional, historical, or modern. (1) What do your societies believe? (2) In what practices do they engage? (3) What laws or rules of society are in place? (4) Who/what enforces the laws and rules and how successful are they? (5) What technologies are in use? (6) How does the setting impact your protagonist(s) in their pre-story lives? (7) How does the setting impact the plot of your story? There are two worlds in my story. The modern world of today and the ancient Chinese world of more than 2000 years ago. (Hsia Dynasty) |
Oct. 16: - CONTEST ROUND: Antagonist Background Story ▼ Write a story about your antagonist that takes place outside of your novel. The object of the contest is to make your judges understand and empathize with the antagonist's motivations. If your antagonist is a situation rather than a person, write a background story about that. The Tom Hanks movie ""Cast Away"" famously features only one character (unless you count Wilson), and his antagonist is loneliness. Could you personify loneliness? Why does loneliness exist? What motivates it? How would a lack of loneliness affect survival of the human race? How did it drive main character Nolan to survive for years alone on a deserted island? Loneliness has a job to do. Make us believe it's a valid one. *Contest Round entries may be any rating. Follow these instructions ("IMPORTANT: How to compete in a Contest Round" ) by 1200 noon WDC time on Sunday to compete. WDC time is New York City time and can be found at the top of the IM Console. If you miss this deadline or choose not to compete, you must still log the assignment complete (without linking your work) for the grand prize, per the standard Prep guidelines. More than twenty thousand years ago, in the South of the mysterious country China lived a creature named Yuang, the fish woman. She had a woman's head but the body of a fish. |
Oct. 11: - Setting: Definitions List ▼ (1) Create a list of definitions (see below) in a format easy to edit and expand. (2) Optional: Brainstorm and describe an object critical to the plot. Add to definitions list. In your definitions list, you'll flesh out details that you'll want to remember later for consistency. You won't have to dig through pages of scribbled notes to find whatever you decided about these definitions - they will all be compiled into a neat list / binder / database / note cards / whatever your favorite form of organization happens to be. Example definitions for the Harry Potter series: rules of magic the Ministry of Magic modes of transportation (apparition, Floo network, portkeys, flying, etc.) the four Houses at Hogwarts the sword of Gryffindor (note: this would also make a good plot background story) Non-speculative examples requiring definitions: a fictional student organization to which your protagonist belongs the fictional company or division of the FBI for whom your protagonist works the disease afflicting your protagonist, which is a real condition you need to research the antique artifact your protagonist intends to heist NOTE: You can revise this list at any time, so this revision is not expected to be fully accurate or complete Definition List for research: |