Wednesday's Writer's Block Exercise - Week 21

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.

This is a very common plot twist that many movies use, and I often write it in my own stories. I try to be sneaky about it, but sometimes I'm not sure if I've achieved that. Sometimes it all goes back to an insignificant moment in the narrative, a character barely seen. Those are the best ones because when you go back rewatch, or reread, it's like witnessing a completely new story!

Surprising the reader is always a good thing. The story will stay with him/her and so will your name. Then the person goes on a hunt of your backlog to find another book. This happens all the time, and a writer usually makes more money from their backlog this way. It's all about getting your name remembered so when a reader goes book shopping, they'll pull up your name.

#21 Imposter

Someone is not who he seems. Perhaps it's an ally- or maybe it's the hero.


>Imagine your hero's life is a deception. Who is he really, and why is he pretending to

be this character?

> List three jobs your hero would be terrible at, then write a scene in which she fakes her way through one of them.

> It's easy to pretend to be someone else online. Brainstorm three ways your hero could be catfished or otherwise deceived.




Everyone wears masks, but some characters go much further, pretending to be someone they're not.

Some deceptions are spontaneous and unplanned (pretending to like jazz), while others require extensive training (a deep-cover spy). Some characters forget who they really are.

The life of an inpostor is dangerous - every moment carries the risk of the ruse collapsin. What are the consequences of being discovered? Who gains from the life being revealed?

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