Prompts From Ready, Set, Novel! A Writer's Workbook By Chris Baty, Lindsey Grant, And Tavia Stewart Streit

prompts from Ready, Set, Novel! A Writer's Workbook by Chris Baty, Lindsey Grant, and Tavia Stewart Streit from the National Novel Writing Month

Have each character retell their first memory.

Write your opening scene from the point of view of a supporting character.

Write a scene of dialogue between your main character and a younger version of themself.

Describe the worst thing that ever happened to your villain.

Flash forward twenty years into the future and write a scene that involves at least three of your characters.

Have your characters share tales of their first kisses.

Write about the last five things your main character bought and why they bought them.

Write a scene in which your protagonist and villain get drunk together.

Lock a few of your characters in a broken elevator.

People rarely get sick in novels. Have your protagonist come down with something.

Write a thank-you card from your protagonist to their sidekick.

Relate the dream your villain had last night.

Your protagonist's mother is interviewed for the local newspaper about her child's achievements. Write that article.

Add a scene in which your character loses something very valuable.

Write a week's worth of Facebook posts from a supporting character. Take it a step further and add comments made by their friends... and enemies.

Have your villain bust out their high school yearbook. Write some of the notes they find in it.

Have your character recount a (hilarious) childhood trauma.

Write a scene describing how your main character's parents met.

Does your main character collect anything? Maybe they should. Describe their collection and why they started it.

Write a really cheesy love song that your main character will sing to their love interest.

Describe the worst thing your main character ever did.

Write a scene in which your main character and the villain have to work together, and explain why.

Send your protagonist to a psychic. What do they find out?

Write a description of your setting in the style of a travel brochure.

Deprive a character of sleep for three days and write about how it affects them.

Read "Today's Featured Article" on Wikipedia and integrate something you learn into your novel.

Your main character finds a genie in a bottle. What three wishes do they make?

Place a few characters in a karaoke bar. Describe the scene and what songs they choose to sing.

Have a character win a huge prize out of the blue. How do they react when they get the news?

Your villain houses a dinner party. What's on the menu? Who is invited?

Write a 200-word newspaper obituary for your villain.

Rest in Peace, Stan.

We’re all human and are the same in that respect, but it’s our creativity that makes us unique and what helps our personality resonate. Creativity and imagination cannot be bought or taken - it’s there from the get go - we all have it. Most of us go about our lives suppressing our flair however, whether it’s on purpose, in fear of what others will think of it, or unintentionally, courtesy of being conditioned to be nothing more than mundane “9 to 5” drones from the cot to the grave.

Imagine people capable of such unparalleled imagination that it literally changes/shapes and influences the world, pioneering the majority of pop culture. Stan Lee, amongst the likes of Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby to name a few, didn’t allow their creativity to be suppressed, but sadly, every superhero’s story has a final page.

Stan Lee sadly passed today at the commendable age of 95. You’d think he’d be able to enjoy his final golden years relaxing, witnessing the millions of people’s lives he’d influenced, reflecting on all the amazing things he’d done… but life being as cruel as it is, pneumonia proved to be a difficult battle. Seemingly in the eventual clear, alleged claims of elder abuse were filed against the people closest to him, including greedy family members and ‘carers’ - the people he should’ve been able to trust the most. If that wasn’t enough, he had to file a lawsuit against one of his own companies… all whilst losing his wife the year before, having being married for an incredible 69 years. He deserved a better retirement than that, yet he STILL went to conventions for the sake of meeting fans and showing how much he cared, sitting for hours to say hello and sign things. Though most people will never reach such an age, let alone acomplish anything close to what he’s done, am I selfish to wish that he’d been given another 100 years? Regardless, his legacy lives on in the form of his creations, and you don’t have to be a genius to know that the superheroes and stories he left behind for us aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Most current creators are probably only doing what they’re doing now because of him, let alone all the up and coming ones that are yet to follow in Stan’s footsteps. Speaking for myself, the things I’ve done and the things I’m interested in are what they are because of him. I wouldn’t have written stories if it wasn’t for him. I wouldn’t have a Marvel blog consisting of 75,000 followers just like me if it wasn’t for him. I wouldn’t have a tiny bedroom ridiculously doused in Marvel collectibles, clothing, posters, comics, and movies if it wasn’t for him. Me and my younger sister wouldn’t have a common interest (that’s borderline religious) if it wasn’t for him. I remember being beyond obsessed with Spider-Man as kid, to the point where I used to pick up spiders in the hopes that they’d bite me so I could swing on webs and climb walls. I remember being 7 years old, literally praying to God that I could be Spider-Man, and I remember how dissapointed I was when nothing happened!

One of my favourite things he said in response to being asked why people love superheroes so much was (and I’m paraphrasing here), “I wanted to make stories that are magical and fantastical. Superheroes are a different take on fantasy,” and it’s exactly that. Life sucks, and I know I probably shouldn’t rely on a single entertainment company to provide me with my fix of escapism, but I’m too far gone, and I fear my younger sister is too, haha! You don’t hear us complaining though, and I wouldn’t change my interests in the slightest. “Escapism” wasn’t an overstatement either. I live and breathe this stuff, it’s ridiculous… and it probably annoys people around me that aren’t as fanatic, but I don’t care. These superheroes come in all shapes and sizes, come from all walks of life and have powers beyond belief - everyone has a favourite hero, and mine’s Stan Lee; his superpower being the ability to change my life among others, making weirdos like myself feel special. A true modern 'Marvel’ if there ever was one. I’ll never feel as though you’re no longer with us, because you and your imagination is here forever. You’ll live on in the hearts and minds of people like myself. I can never come close to explaining to anyone just how much Marvel has shaped me. Rest in peace Stan the Man, you’ve earnt it you legend. Excelsior!

Dec 28th 1922 - Nov 12th 2018

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ash-spinelli

3 years ago