The plot medics are away on holiday for the first two weeks of August. While we're gone, we thought we'd give you some exercises that are fun to do with friends.
Desperate Scavenger Hunt
Set up:
Get each person in the group to select 3 items from around the house, and put them in a bag. Nominate one person to be caller, and another as picker. As the picker selects an item in the bag (so the caller can't see), the caller says who the item will be given to. Make sure that everybody in the group receives one item.
Writing Exercise:
Who desperately needs the item you've been given, and why? Write for 20 minutes.
Genre Bending
Set Up
Each person writes the names of 3 story genres on separate pieces of paper, folds them and puts them in a hat/bowl/receptacle of your choice. Examples include high fantasy, hard sf, Regency romance, amateur sleuth, bonk buster etc.
Writing Exercise
Pick two pieces of paper/genres and write for 20 minutes combining the two in a scene or a plot outline.
Stylish Plots
Set Up
Ask each of your friends to bring a selection of books written in a distinctive style/voice. Sit in a circle, and each select a book for the person on your left.
Now get each person to write 2 plot situations on separate pieces of paper, fold them, and put them in a bowl. Examples include "a birthday party goes wrong", "jewellery is stolen", "a body is found" etc. Pass the bowl round, and each take one piece of paper.
Writing Exercise
Allow 20-30 minutes for each participant to read a section of their book, and get a feel for the author's style. Then take 20 minutes to write a scene for the selected plot situation in that author's style.
Picture Seeds
Use one or more of the pictures below as a starting point and write for 15 minutes
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