Zero Hour is approaching for those who are doing NaNoWriMo. For those not doing it, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep writing. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have goals. It doesn’t mean you can’t still keep coming to write-ins, and getting caught up in all the motivation. In fact, I say, join us anyways. Keep writing, keep working on your goals, keep coming to write-ins. This month our cafes tend to be more “heads down writing” and that’s a good thing, so you can get your articles done, your mind mapping done, your own personal, non-nano project done. So please plan to join us. Kick off is at Boxley’s mezzanine room (up the stairs from the pub side), beginning at 7 p.m. Hope to see you there. Bring your rubber duckies and rhinos.

In the mean time, I want you to think about characters. Really, really think about them.

What does your protagonist want that they can’t have? Why does she make the silly choices that she does that creates the conflict for the story? Does he have mommy issues? Does she have daddy issues? Are they afraid of commitment. Today’s exercise is to write five vignettes for either characters for your current project (including NaNo), or for one you’re about to do. Pretend you’re writing an extended obituary for the character. Keep in mind the phrase, “What motivated them throughout their life?” Was is service? Was it glory & fame? Was it money? Don’t know how an obituary is written? Check out your local newspaper, or google fu “extended obituary.” There’s some pretty epic ones out there. Now do it for your characters.

Now your moment of Writing Zen:

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring