Today, instead of a writing tip, I have a ten-minute writing exercise for you. 🙂
The idea is to describe what your protagonist is wearing at the beginning of your story. (Or if you haven’t got a story right now, make up a character.)
Include lots of detail. Why are they wearing this outfit? What’s special about each item? Did they choose the clothes themselves, or are they hand-me-downs or gifts? Is the clothing old and worn out, or brand new? What about colour?
Is their any significance to what they are wearing? What is the image they want to portray? What about jewellery and make up? Does any piece have special significance?
How does their outfit make them feel? Grown-up, embarrassed, important, significant, cared for or neglected?
This fun little exercise need only take ten minutes – so instead of scrolling through Instagram once today, grab a pen and paper or your phone, and do this instead!
By the end of the assignment, you will have got to know your protagonist a little better – so you can make him/her more real for your readers as you write. And that’s a great thing, because the more engaging your characters, the more engaging your novel will be. 🙂
There are lots more exercises like this in the November Challenge (I’ve had lots of fun planning them for you!). If you’d like to join us, this is the link to sign up.
Have a great weekend,
Janet
P.S. Thanks to those of you who have already signed up. You’re in for a treat! The Challenge starts on Tuesday, so if you are thinking about joining, don’t leave it too long. And if you’ve missed all the info about it, simply click on the link for more info. Hope to see you there!