Dialogue About 5 minutes
A character addresses someone by a formal name they normally never use. Write the reaction.
Use your own story, or invent something just for this.
Yours, Muse.
Make it yours.
Further reading to help with this task.
A little time for yourself.05:00
No alarms. No pressure.
Small tasks. Real craft. Your words.Keep a useful exercise. Come back when you need it.Keep exploring
Creative writing exercises by skill
Try an earlier task.
These short fiction writing exercises focus on one skill at a time. Use a character from your novel, try a short story idea or start with a blank page. Each prompt includes a hint and links to craft guidance.
- Friday 13 November
The word they would use
Take a neutral description of a garden. Rewrite it using words your chosen character would naturally reach for.Point of view · 10 minTry it - Thursday 12 November
Swap two scenes
Swap two scenes in an outline and check what becomes impossible or confusing.Plot · 10 minTry it - Wednesday 11 November
Three kinds of silence
Describe the quiet in a library, an empty station and a room after an argument. Use one sentence each.Description · 10 minTry it - Tuesday 10 November
Speak with care
A character must deliver bad news without making a promise they cannot keep. Write their opening lines.Dialogue · 10 minTry it - Monday 9 November
Too close to notice
Show a character overlooking an obvious detail because they are absorbed in a small worry.Point of view · 10 minTry it - Sunday 8 November
Start with a small offence
Write an opening paragraph where someone breaks a minor rule for a reason they consider excellent.Openings & endings · 10 minTry it - Saturday 7 November
The voice of expertise
Describe a badly organised cupboard through someone who takes organisation very seriously.Voice & rhythm · 10 minTry it - Friday 6 November
A reason to stay
A character means to leave a party. Give them a convincing reason to stay another five minutes.Scene · 10 minTry it - Thursday 5 November
Keep what sounds like you
Choose a paragraph and identify one phrase you would recognise as yours. Improve its clarity without losing its particular sound.Voice & rhythm · 10 minTry it