Last week we started where JRR Tolkien started and we created our own hobbits. I was so impressed by your imaginations, you guys. Among other things, I hope the exercise showed you that even when we start with the same sentence, we are incapable of telling precisely the same story as anyone else. Because you are you and I am me and we all have our own worlds brewing inside us.
Today, we’re going to take our hobbits and give them a story. More specifically, we’re going to give them an obstacle. We’re not going to fully develop a story problem today, but what we want to do is give our fictional creature something to overcome.
This can be something simple (like making a cake without a bowl) or something complex (like escaping an assassin). Your hobbit and its obstacle are yours and yours alone, so let your imagination run wild.
A couple tips:
1. If you did the exercise last week, start with the hobbit you created and the details you scratched out about his life underground. You can make changes to that idea, but starting with something is always easier than starting with nothing. Your previous ideas will spark new ones.
2. If you did not do the exercise last week, consider doing that one first. Understanding who your hobbit is and why it lives in a hole in the ground will help you develop the creature’s dilemma.
3. Keep the problem very clear and simply written. Don’t give your hobbit multiple obstacles to overcome. We’re taking our hobbit in a very specific direction and I don’t want you to have too much to juggle when we reach next week’s exercise.
4. Do not solve your hobbit’s problem today! We will work on that, I promise. But that’s not today’s goal. Just give him a bit of trouble, alright? We’ll come to solution seeking soon.
REMEMBER! When you participate in our writing exercises you can enter to win an opportunity to ask Jill, Steph and me a question for one of our upcoming writing panels. Once you leave your response to the writing prompt in the comments section, use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Next week, Rafflecopter will select one winner and we’ll contact you for your question via email. Happy writing, friends!