1.
Stephen King on short stories
Prof John Dufresne on writing

2. WFT: Capturing a “Writing Sneeze” (A Quick Detailed Description)
Look around you. Really pay attention to your surroundings. Focus on one particular thing that catches your eye. Now, describe it. Use language to try to capture the essence of what you are fixated upon; describe color, texture, shape, size, placement, and anything else that reveals what you see.

3. WFT: Bringing Your “Writing Sneeze” to Life
Now that you have used language to capture the essence of one particular thing in your surroundings (describing its color, texture, shape, size, placement, etc.), imagine the life around it. What is the story of this object? How did it get here? To whom does it belong? Where will it go? Write a page from the story of this object. Don’t worry about its beginning or ending – just write!

9. WFT: Places
Now that you have looked at some pictures of places, let your imagination take you there. Walk among the elements of the pictures. What is around you? What do you see? Hear? Walk around a little more. How does the place make you feel? Now, write a description of what you have experienced in your mind. Write a page from the story of this place. Again, don’t worry about its beginning or ending – just write!

10. Developing CHARACTER Joyce Carole Oates: Don’t Give Up:
Amy Tan: Write about what you know:
Irish author Carlo Gébler: Name and time:

16. WFT: Character
Now that you have looked at some pictures of characters, let your imagination talk to them. What is their name? What are they like? Where are they from? Where are they going? What impression do they give? Now, write a description of what you have experienced in your mind. Write a page from the story of this character or characters. Again, don’t worry about its beginning or ending – just write!

17. CONFLICT
INTERNAL: Man vs. self; usually a moral dilemma of choices with equally distressing consequences
EXTERNAL: Man vs.
Man
Nature
Society
Technology

18. What is your character’s CONFLICT?
Imagine a struggle, either internal or external, that he or she must cope with.
Brainstorm a list of issues that your character might encounter.

19. WFT: What Happens Next?
CHOICE A: Imagine that you are sitting at home on the couch, watching television. Suddenly, the news comes on with an important bulletin: the White House has been attacked and is burning to the ground. Washington, DC and the surrounding area is in total chaos. Outside in the distance you hear sirens going off. What do you do? What happens next?
CHOICE B: The doorbell rings. You open it. There is no one there. Then you look down. At your feet is a box labeled “IMPORTANT.” You look around, but you see absolutely no sign of anyone. You gingerly open the box. You gaze in wonder at what sits before. You can hardly believe what you are seeing.