Writers’ Asylum: Challenge #5

It’s night-time. You’re in a remote place, inside a big, abandoned building. What kind of building is it?

It’s old, decaying. There’s power, enough to run the few remaining light bulbs, though they flicker unreliably. Any paint or wallpaper is peeling.

What is it like in there? Are there wooden floors that flex and creak under your weight, is it squeaky linoleum, or pitted concrete with puddles from leaks in the roof? Are the window panes cracked glass that could be described as ‘crazed’ or do the frames gape emptily? Is there furniture or equipment around you, or has it been cleared out?

What brought you into this place? An accident, a prank, a lure, your job? Why are you here alone? Are you confident as you move around here? Trepidatious? Blasé? Cautious?

You hear a noise. You’re sure that it came from within the building but you can’t see what made it. Do you try to investigate? You hear it again, closer this time.

The lights go out, plunging you into darkness. If you check, there’s no power any more, not even to the electrical devices you’re carrying. Your phone won’t turn on. There’s no light from outside to speak of.

You’re suddenly aware of all of the tiny noises inside the building, amplified by the dark. There’s a faint shuffling noise that sounds like it’s in the room with you. You feel a brush of warm air, like something is breathing close to you.

What do you do?

Your eyes start to adjust to the dark. You begin to see shapes again. Movement catches your eye. Something rushes towards you and a flash of light shows you its face.

The title of this challenge is Fear. Scare us. Tell us the story of the building and what you find there – or don’t find.

Next up: Challenge #6

Writers’ Asylum: Challenge #4

Imagine a cityscape. Choose any world, but preferably one you’ve never written in before. What era are we in? What kind of city? It can be anything: an alien city of gravity-defying structures; a medieval hamlet of dirty, cobbled streets and wattle-and-daub walls; a cluster of skyscrapers and headlights.

Is it tall? Sprawling? Crammed onto an island? Dull or shining? What kind of climate does it live in? Is it flat and level? What geological features does it compete with: mountain slopes; the moving water of a river or the sea; encroaching swampland; earthquakes and shifting?

Is it a busy city? Does it sleep at night? What are its distinguishing features? Is it well lit, day or night? What is the chief characteristic of its people?

In this cityscape of yours, there are two parties moving very quickly: one fleeing and one chasing. Their hearts are pounding and they’re both very intent. Are they on foot? In vehicles? On mounts? A mixture? What parts of the cityscape does their chase take them over or through? What do they use on the way? What do they avoid? Why? Is there collateral damage in their wake or do they leave the city’s surface unruffled by their passing?

Who are these two rushing parties? What is their goal? Do they share the same one, or do they have opposing aims? Why is the one in front running, and why is the one behind chasing? Are their hearts in it? Are they both recklessly focussed on their goal? What are they willing to do to get away or catch up?

Rewind to the beginning of their journey. What started them off?

The title of this challenge is Chase. Describe their journey across the city. Make it fast and exciting, and don’t stop until someone wins or everyone loses.

Next up: Challenge #5

Writers’ Asylum: Challenge #3

Picture an adult. Male or female? Single or married? How does he or she spend most days: a job, a profession, a career, or something else? What is this person’s favourite hobby?

Now picture someone in this character’s life; a person who is very important to them. It might be a lover, a child, a parent, a sibling, or a best friend. This doesn’t have to be the only person that the character loves but love is involved, whether anyone has admitted it or not. It can be any kind of love: it’s a deep attachment. Who is this person? They have had trials through the years, and they are still close and connected. What makes the bond between them so strong? Is the person aware of your character’s feelings? Is the character aware?

Today, something awful happens. This person is ripped from your character’s life, with no warning and quite irrevocably. They are not simply out of sight: your character will never see or hear from this person again. It is not a happy ending to anyone’s story. It happens right in front of your character and he or she is unable to stop it. What happened to take this person away? It might be an accident, a mistake, or something more sinister. Does your character try to intervene? Why isn’t he or she successful?

Where is your character when it’s over?

The title of this challenge is Loss. Start from the moment it’s all over and tell us how he or she reacts. Avoid cliché and melodrama. This is the story of what happens after your character’s heart has been ripped out.

Next up: Challenge #4

Writers’ Asylum: Challenge #2

I want you to picture an ordinary man with an ordinary job. I want you to give him a name.

Where does he work? What does he do for a living? Does he get along with his co-workers? How does he feel about his work? What do people at his work think about him? How does he dress for his job?

Now I want you to take him home. There are pictures of his family on the wall. Who is in the pictures? How old are the photos? Where are those people right now? Are they still in his life? Are they in the house right now? What is the first thing he does when he gets home from work?

You have an idea of his usual day. Now, something is going terribly wrong for him. Something shatters his world in a way that he is not prepared to handle in a healthy way. Something inside him snaps and the focus of his rage is his workplace. What has happened to him? What is driving him to such rage? Is it one thing, or a confluence of many factors? What is the thing that turns bend to break?

He goes to get a weapon. What is it? Where is it? It is one he has on hand? Is it the first thing he comes across? Does he take the time to go and buy one, to prepare himself for what he needs to do? What does it look like, feel like? Has he used it or something like it before, for any purpose?

He takes that weapon and walks into his workplace, intending to use it. Does he have a target in mind? Does it matter to him? Who is the first person he comes across and what does he do?

The title of this challenge is Massacre. Tell this man’s story from the point of view of the weapon he takes to work that day.

Next up: Challenge #3

Writers’ Asylum: Challenge #1

I want you to imagine a couple. For those who write romance or erotica, I want you to make it a pairing that you wouldn’t normally write: if you write about gay couples, imagine a straight couple; if you write lesbians, write about two men instead; if you write about adults, choose teenagers or more mature characters. Be creative. Try to picture a couple you haven’t written before.

Who are these people? How do they relate to each other? Imagine them in a room, looking at each other, just looking, not speaking. What draws them to each other? Do they know each other well? Have they just met? Are they somewhere in between, still discovering each other? What is the dynamic between them? Who initiates interactions: a glance, a conversation, contact, sex?

What ignites their passion? Have they kissed yet? Have they crossed the sexual (panty) line? As they’re standing there, looking at each other, are they intoxicated with drugs, each other, all of the above, or nothing? Are they a slow burn or sudden fireworks against a wall?

The title of this challenge is Raunchy. Now write their sex scene.

Next up: Challenge #2

Writers’ Asylum: Prologue

Prepare to walk the corridors of today. I can’t promise they’ll all be this straight.
(Picture by Snap-shooter!)

You’re going to be pushed out of your comfort zone today. You’re going to write things you wouldn’t normally try. That’s good. That’s why we’re here.

Be free with it. Be brave and bold. Be inspired.

On the hour, every hour until the end of the event, I’m going to give you a series of prompts. I’m going to help you build a picture in your mind, then tell you the title of the challenge and push you over the edge into writing about that picture.

You can interpret the prompts in any way you wish, though I encourage you to follow the guidelines where you can, even if they make you uncomfortable. Even if they take you to a strange place. You may wish to subvert the challenge, but in doing so, you might also miss the point. Give it a try. Explore it, see what happens; surprise yourself.

The goal is to write a thousand words for each challenge. You only have an hour, so this is all about getting that picture in your head down on paper without stopping to reconsider, edit, or chicken out. Push yourself, spin it out, worm yourself into the details of that picture and tease them out. Give us everything you’ve got and then some.

I will not ask to see your writing, though if you wish to share it, I thoroughly encourage you. You can send it to me privately, post it on your own site, post it here in the comments on this blog; wherever you please! It is entirely your own choice.

Now, take a few minutes to prepare yourself. Stretch, breathe. Clear your mental palate and summon a fresh, clean sheet of paper to your mind.

Because soon, we will begin.

Next up: Challenge #1

Writers’ Asylum: lined up and ready to go

I was productive over the long weekend, and Writers’ Asylum things are falling into place. Look at this awesome lineup of posts:

Scheduled and ready to drop!

That was the last bit of organisation for me. All I need to do now is run the day. I’m so excited to see what people think of it all. Can’t wait!

Will you be joining in? Coming in person, or online?

The Asylum has a home!

This way lies madness. Or salvation. One of those.
(Picture by ark4n)

Plans for the Writers’ Asylum are coming together. The challenges are written, the day is scripted. And now, we have a venue.

From 10:30am until 5pm on Saturday 20th April, we’ll be set up in the back area of the Coffee Club at Park Road, Milton.

The challenges will also be going up on this blog through the day, so you can join in even if you can’t make it to the venue. You can also feel free to post your writing in the comments on the challenges, if you want to show off what you’ve done!

So excited about this. Can’t wait until next month! Hope you will all join me.

Challenging my brain

Look! She’s putting Superman shit in my brain!
From Adventure Comics #350, November 1966

For the past week, I’ve been hip-deep in the writing challenge morass. After realising how little time I have until the Writer’s Asylum will be upon us, pondering ideas for challenges has been sucking up my spare time. (Don’t worry: I have this week’s Starwalker post all sorted out.)

It has been an interesting process. I started off just making notes, trying to build a list of challenges that touches a lot of different subjects, styles, and themes. I need 6 challenges in total for the event: this list is both woefully short in terms of scope, and long in terms of coming up with complete challenges.

I wound up with a list of 9 or 10 themes I could potentially do. Some of them automatically shaped themselves into scenarios in my head, which made the next phase a bit easier.

The next phase was to write the challenges out in full, which has been a process all in itself. The challenges have to be general enough that the writers can take the prompts where their creative muse lead them, but specific enough to push them into an area they wouldn’t normally write in. There need to be options with guidance. Freedom within constraints. Enough information for writers to get hold of and take inspiration from, but not so much that they’re strangled by it or thrown out of the idea.

It has been fun! I’ve made up little exercises for my Creative Writing Group before but nothing on this scale. It has been a challenge in itself, stretching me into a new area. I’m writing them up in the form that I’ll probably use when I post them up on this blog (the challenges will be mirrored online, for those who can’t make it to the event in person). I’ll be reading them out at the event, which will be a scripted form of public speaking; also something I haven’t really done before (I’m an off-the-cuff kind of speaker most of the time, running off brief notes).

It’s a learning experience for me all over. I’m not sure yet whether I’ll be able to take part in the challenges (it’s cheating because I already know what they are, and I suspect I’ll be busy facilitating on the day, both in person and online). Even so, I might have a go at them before the day, just to see what happens.

I have one left to write (the hardest one, of course) and then I’ll be ready. The proof will be in the testing, though. I have no idea if these are going to go the way I think they will and I can’t wait to share them with everyone anyway.

One left. Let’s see if I can knock it over tonight. Then all that’s left is logistics! Yay!

The writing challenge challenge

Yes, this is me right now. Only I’m prettier.
This will be all of you when I get this going.
Photo of/by Clint Gardner.

Is that a mistake in the title? No, it’s not.

A little while ago, I posted about an idea I had for a day of writing challenges. It’s going to be in April, because that’s the month when I can’t hold my regular Creative Writing Group meeting. It got an awesome response! People are enthused! Yay!

I realised yesterday that shit, it’s February already. I have about 2 months to sort it all out.

Ahhh.

So much to sort out. I really need to get myself into gear and get it moving. Contact the QWC. Sort out a venue. And, mostly importantly, work out the challenges I’m going to be running.

What’s a suitable writing challenge? Hmm. I have a few ideas that are percolating, and I have started making notes and plans. I’m putting them someplace secret, so no-one peeks ahead of time. I’m thinking that I’ll need 6 in total: one per hour, from 11am until 4pm (running until 5pm to finish the last challenge).

6. That’s both a lot and not many at all. I want a variety, lots of different kinds of areas and methods. I want everyone to be able to try something they’ve never done before (or tend to avoid). I want them to be hard (like a challenge should be!). I want them to be stretching. Yeah, I want everything, in a single day, with lols and laughs to boot.

So that’s my personal challenge at the moment: finding or creating 6 different challenges. I’ve got a few in mind. Let’s see how long it takes to refine them into a challenge that writers will relish.

Oh, and the event now has a name: Writer’s Asylum. Ahahahaha.