Here is your challenge: for the next week, collect fun names. I’ve collected them for years in a little notebook — from obituaries, news stories, random lists, and spam. Spam is great for funny names.
Then go through your notebook, choose a name, and write a short character sketch based off that name. It’s amazing how the names make the characters come to life and start moving the story in fun directions you never expected.
Feel inspired? Share your story below.
Get your creative juices flowing with these similar creative writing exercises.
Your protagonist sits down at a desk and begins penning a letter to his or her younger self. What would they tell their past selves? What regrets do they voice? What lessons have they learned? …
When you meet new people, how do you react? Tell a story to illustrate this.
Think about how your writing voice has changed since you began writing — then, try writing in the voice of Past You. Growing older, trying new experiences, and learning more about writing can all be …
Looking for a writing exercise that gets you out of your chair? Decide what kind of store your main character likes to shop at. Go to that store and wander the aisles, looking for items …
Have you read a book you couldn’t put down? A good writer knows how to keep the reader’s attention — and the secret of that is pacing. Take a page-turner and analyse how it kept …
Select a scene that involves 2-3 characters. Write a paragraph from the point of one character. Now write the same interaction from another character’s point of view. For example: your paragraph could involve the point …
Connect with the industry's best editors, designers, marketers and ghostwriters.
Typeset your manuscript to beautifully formatted PDF and EPUB files in seconds.
