EXERCISES AND PROMPTS FOR ASPIRING AUTHORS

Are you an aspiring author struggling to start the process of writing your first book? Today is your lucky day because I've listed ten prompts to help you begin your exciting writing journey. These are great for beginners looking to start or enhance their book-writing process.

Character Creation Exercise

Prompt: Write a detailed description of your protagonist (or a main character) in 3 paragraphs.

• What do they look like physically?

• What are their most significant personality traits?

• What secret are they hiding, and how does it shape their actions?

Exercise: Try to write a scene where this character does something completely out of their usual behavior. How do they react, and how do the side characters respond?

Setting the Scene

Prompt: Describe a place that plays a central role in your story. It could be a house, a city, a forest, or a bar.

• What time of day is it?

• What does it smell like, sound like, and feel like?

• What memories or emotions does it evoke for your protagonist?

Exercise: Place your character in a scene where the setting influences their actions or feelings. Maybe they are trapped in their childhood room, inspired by the murmur of a river, or drawn to a dangerous alley in the city.

Conflict Creation

Prompt: Create a scene where two of the characters in your story have conflict.

• What are the stakes?

• What are the consequences of each choice?

• Why is this decision process difficult for the character?

Exercise: Write a scene in which the character must make a difficult decision and describe how it affects the rest of the story.

Dialogue

Prompt: Write a dialogue between the main and side characters with different perspectives on the same event.

• One character is optimistic, the other is pessimistic.

• One is confrontational, the other is passive.

• One is secretive, the other is open.

Exercise: Focus on showing their personalities through their dialogue. Avoid explicitly stating their feelings—let their words, tone, and what they choose to reveal or hide speak for them.

Writing a Letter (Character Perspective)

Prompt: Write a letter from your protagonist to someone they love (or once loved) but have not spoken to in years.

• What do they write about?

• What secrets do they share?

• What is the underlying tone of the letter? (Regret, longing, anger, hope, love?)

Exercise: How does your understanding of the character after writing the letter influence the character's journey or relationships?

Flashback Scene

Prompt: Write a flashback scene that reveals something shocking about your protagonist's past.

• Where are they when the flashback happens?

• What happens to them in the flashback?

• How did it influence her choices and make them who they are today?

Exercise: Write a flashback scene. How does the character react? Do they internalize it, or do they respond physically?

Plot Twist

Prompt: Keep the plot twist hidden until the right time. Ask yourself the following questions.

• How does this twist change the direction of the story?

• Who is affected by this twist, and how do they react?

Exercise: Write a scene leading up to this twist, carefully building tension. Write three ways you can mislead the reader so that the twist has more impact when revealed?

Starting with Action

Prompt: Start a scene with a moment of action in the middle of the plot.

• Your protagonist is running from someone, fighting with someone, or uncovering a mystery.

• This should drop the reader right into the middle of the story, with no context.

• Make it exciting and full of energy.

Exercise: After writing the action, go back and fill in the details: Who is your protagonist? Why are they in this situation? What do they need to do to get out?

The "What If" Exercise

Prompt: What if your protagonist could only choose one of the following:

• To tell the truth about something they've been hiding

• To protect someone they love, even if it means sacrificing something important or even themselves

• To run away from everything they've known

Exercise: Write a scene where your protagonist must make this difficult decision, with the consequences of each option weighing heavily on them.

Writing from Another Point of View

Prompt: Choose a side character and write a scene from their perspective.

• How do they view the protagonist?

• What are their wants, fears, and motivations?

• How do they feel about the main conflict or plot?

Exercise: Consider how this character's perspective adds layers to the main story. Could they become an ally or an obstacle for the protagonist later?

First Lines

Prompt: Write the first 10 lines of your book. These can be very different in tone, setting, and plot.

• Choose the one that excites you the most. Why does it draw you in?

• Now, write the next paragraph or two. Where does this sentence lead you?

  
  

I hope these few prompts and exercises will help you build a strong foundation for your story and develop the essential skills that every writer needs, from character creation to plot development. Try to write every day, even if it's just a little bit, and don't forget I am rooting for you!