Wednesday's Writers Block Exercise

Got Writer’s Block?

Yeah, it happens to the best of us.  Life gets in the way and your brain is taken in another direction and before you know it, it’s been days or weeks since you last looked at that book you’re trying to write.  You’ve forgotten little details.  What eye color did you give your hero?  What town was your heroine born in?  Perhaps you need to jumpstart your creative mojo, and that's what this series is designed for. Not to explain writer's block, but to help you move in a different direction.

#9 Change Relationships

Consider other ways your characters could be related, both now and in the past.

>Picture your hero on a date with each of the major characters in the story. Where would they go? What would the end of the night be like?

> If all the major characters in your story were part of a single family, who would have what role? What would the arguments be?

> Pick two supporting characters and imagine them as dogs or cats. How would the story change?

What if the hero and villain were brothers? Lovers? Neighbors? Childhood friends?

Every two characters in your story have a relationship, even if it’s as strangers. But the most interesting relationship might not be the most obvious one, so consider many possibilities.

While you’re at it, try moving the clock. Is your hero couple newlywed, or nearly-divorced? Could they meet for the first time in your story, or be celebrating twenty years?

Always ask yourself: How could this relationship cause more challenges for the heron?

Happy Writing!

***John August designed these cards to help writers fix plot holes, spice up stock characters and rethink your themes.  They, of course, do not guarantee you’ll get published or that you’ll become the next J.K. Rowling, and of course they are only a tool to help you think outside the box. I make no monetary gain with them nor do I expect anything in return.  I do not own the contents in these cards. If you're interested in them, here's the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Writer-Emergency-Pack/dp/B00R6ZLIOY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502046610&sr=8-2&keywords=john+august