The Write On! Writer’s Toolkit is a series of workbooks that constitute writing work-shops designed for the UpOnWriting.com writers' community. This free series encourages creative writing for pure joy of self entertainment, which as far as I'm concerned, is the only reason to write. I have taken writing classes and workshops over the years, each of which has helped me gain a level of confidence in my writing, but none of which ever really provoked the desire to tell a story.
Over the course of my life, I have developed characters, created ensembles, devised conflict and magically unleashed a plot by virtue of indulging my fancies on the page. One of the biggest obstacles I've had to overcome was to own my writing style for what it is: cheesey, goofy, angsty, off-beat, and good. I love my stories, and I love my characters. And this is because I write to please myself first. The like-minded audience who reads my work will form in due time.
Try incorporating some or all of these exercises into your writing practices - see for yourself how fun it is to escape into the world of your imagination. And, maybe you can squeeze a novel or two out of your efforts!
PART I - Characters You Can Get Obsessed With guides you through the fundamentals of developing your character. Use this tool to anchor down the elements and personal touches that create a bond between the two of you. In this workbook, you will define your character’s personality and personal history so that you can embed him or her in your subconscious and write for him or her without hesitation.
PART II - Character Ensembles guides you through the fundamentals of bonding your characters together. Use this tool to analyze and solidify specific traits and behaviors that both attract your characters to and repel them away from each other. Use The Giddy Factor as your guide: how do you feel when you read what you’ve written?
Coming Soon: PART III - Elements Of The Story and PART IV - The Plot
Each workbook is also available at Lulu.com in PDF format ($0.99 USD) and can be read on any device that reads PDFs (note that document size is 6x9, so smaller viewers may not work as well).