This month I have been participating in nanowrimo - a month of intense novel writing with the goal of writng 50,000 words in 30 days. Nanowrimo offers pep talks throughout the month to inspire creativity and help writers find their voice. One of the pep talks this month was from Scott Westerfield. I want to share some of the ideas he wrote. Life is full of gnarly details. Scott Westerfield says the world is much more complicated than we imagine. We think too simply. We need to realize that the world is messy, relationships are stormy, and there is far more variety in nature than we realize at first look. Did deeper when you are crafting your story world. Look for the unique and interesting details that make the story richer and more true to life.
Try these exercises to get you started:
Take a 15 minute walk in a natural setting. Notice the scents. Does the air smell like rain is coming? Has someone started a wood fire to take away the morning chill? Notice the living things around you, from insects to birds and mammals. What are their activities?
Examine one of your relationships. What annoys you about this person? What quirky habbits does this person have? What is one sad event in that person's life? What is a simple pleasure you have shared with that person?
Get into the gnarly. That is story gold.
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