Plot About 10 minutes
List three things an opening makes you expect. Choose one and note where the story answers it.
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.10:00
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
There is more than one way in.
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.
Character
Wants, habits and the choices that give a person away.
Dialogue
Let people dodge, disagree and say more than they mean.
Scene
A place, a want and a moment that changes things.
Plot
Choices, consequences and the next thing that goes wrong.
Worldbuilding
Make a place feel lived in, one useful detail at a time.
Point of view
Who notices what, and how close the reader gets.
Description
Specific sights, sounds and small things worth noticing.
Revision
Small, deliberate edits with a clear reason behind them.
Tension
Uncertainty, pressure and reasons to turn the page.
Openings & endings
Invitations, goodbyes and the moment to leave a scene.
A writer's eye
Observe, read and research with a notebook handy.
Voice & rhythm
Play with sentences and hear what your words are doing.