Your Last What If

It's time for you to get your novel started, so it's also time to get rid of all your exercises and get working! Today's exercise is fairly simple. You only need to find a mirror and talk to yourself.

Now, don't be afraid. Find a place that has a mirror where you can be alone for at least 5 minutes. In this exercise, you will pretend that your novel has already been published.

"What if my novel was published and it made me famous?"

Pretend you're on a talk show. Talk about what you did to get your novel started, what you did to keep the momentum, and what you did, in detail, if possible. Be candid. Be funny. Think of the future.

Your novel will be finished and you might actually be famous because of it. Think of this exercise as practice.

"What if you had to talk to people in song?"

Some people chide Broadway for portraying an unreal world: one where people break into song and dance numbers spontaneously, one where nearly all conversations rhyme, and one where stories are brought forth and resolved in three hours or less.

But what if Broadway happened to YOU? What would your day of song and dance be like?

Write a short story with at least 1 song and detailing at least 1 dance number. This exercise will not only hone your poetry and movement description skills; it will also allow you to flex your muscles when it comes to integrating song and dance into your stories. Pick your plot and stories, and when you are done, post a link to your short story in your Comments section.

Good luck and happy writing!

A Sad, Frightening "What If?"

On this occasion of Valentine's Day, it's time to think of a question addressed so often in the publication world, it seems so difficult to answer it in an original way:

"What if the person you loved the most died before you could tell them that you love them?"

Answer this What If from a first person point of view, with your choice of character and settings, and with 2000 words or less. Allow this exercise to awaken your creativity in answering an almost trite questions. Allow this exercise to make you aware, as well, of the value of people in your life.

When you are done, post your story in the Comments section, or provide a link to it. Good luck, and happy writing!

And don't ever forget to tell your loved ones that you love them, no matter what day of the year it is.

It's the What If That You Might Want

December is the busiest time of the year, and it's not just about Christmas. People wrap up work, get ready for travel, close accounts, close books, and, in general, get into a lot of scrapes and messes. But what if it was calm?

What if the world went all quiet in December?

"All quiet" means so many things. It can mean that the malls close and no one can shop, or it can mean that people aren't rushing to get their work done. What it means is up to you. You can choose a plot and your characters, but you can't write anything beyond 1000 words. When you are done, post your short story in the Comments section, or provide a link to it.

Good luck and happy writing!

It's Time for Halloween What Ifs!

Halloween is just a few weeks away, and it's time to get into the Halloween mood. Try out this What if for your short story:

What if zombies ruled the world?

The plot and characters will be your own, and you need to describe the world, in detail, with zombies at the head. You have only 3000 words (or less) to write your story. When you are done, post your story, or a link to it, in the Comments section.

Good luck, and happy writing!

A What If of Nightmares....

Not everyone thinks that nightmares are bad. They can give you warnings on how you can make your life better. They can prove to be the breeding ground of ideas that could drive your work. In fact, if you can get beyond your fear of nightmares, you could wake up screaming...for a pen and paper to take down your ideas, that is.

You have about 1000 words to talk about the following "What If?"

What if you could never wake up from your worst nightmare?

When you are done, post your story in the comments section, or provide a link to it. Good luck and happy writing!

Some Insects Have All the Fun

You could be reincarnated as the next millionaire, or the next dung beetle. You can be born a pauper or a prince. You can wake up with a silver spoon in your mouth, stuck right there when you utter your first cry; or you can be spanked by your local midwife until you were aware that you would be spanked for the rest of your life. But...

What if you were born a bee?

Write a story of no more than 1000 words. You are in charge of where your plot will go, who your characters will be, and where your story is set. You only need to write in first person, and you have to be a bee. How would your day go? What would your life be like? What would make your life exciting, and what would make your life a living pain in your stinging bottom? This exercise will help you take on the personality of another living thing, which, not being a human, will require you to use your imagination.

When you are finished, provide a link to your story in the Comments section; or, if it's short enough, post it for other readers to read. Good luck and happy writing!

A What If That's Weird, Indeed

Many of the what ifs on this blog are fun and strange, but here's a what if that you might have a hard time explaining if you don't have the words (or wit) to do it:

“What if you woke up one day and you couldn't remember how to read?”

You have 2000 words at your disposal, and your choice of characters (aside from you, of course) and plot. You need to tell this story from the first person point of view. You also need to make this story exciting, so get to work!

Post the story in the Comments section when you are done, or provide a link to it. Good luck, and happy writing!

The Apocalyptic What If

It's time for you to try your luck at a Hollywood plot. Ask yourself:

“What if the world would end tomorrow?”

It's time for you to write a longer short story, of about 15,000 words or so (or less). You have your choice of characters and plot, but you cannot have more than three main characters. You also need to have an exciting story that should not employ any cliches or overused plots. You need to have a unique, exciting story, and you have to post it!

Provide a link to your story through the Comments section – and happy writing!

Going Back...Waaaay Back...

.

.

.

What if I woke up and I was 10 years old again?

Lots of movies and books have made this their plot - and now, it's your turn. Think it's easy? You need to recollect everything that happened when you were young, you need to remember what it was like to be ten, and you have to superimpose your age-old (or slightly older) wisdom onto the entire (potential) mess! Are you ready?

You simply need to write. Make your work as long or as short as you wish. You don't have any word or plot or even character limits. You can cover a day in your life, a week, a month, a year, even a moment! Post your work in the comments section, or leave a link there so that others can get a chance to read about your time travel fantasies (or nightmares).

Good luck, and happy writing!

A What If Exercise That Goes Beyond Anatomy

Here's a what if question that should get you thinking beyond the muscle in your chest.

What if you were born without a heart?

There are many ways that you can go about this issue. You can treat it as fodder for a short story that shows how you deal with the issue of not having a heart. You can also write an essay about not having a heart and how your life can change because of it. You can go abstract and talk about lack of emotions; or you can give your readers a dose of reality and talk science, medicine, and anatomy.

In any case, answer the what if with 500 words or less. Post your essay in the Comments section, or provide a link to it. Happy Writing!

A What If? For Expectations

If the philosopher Karl Popper had his way, he'd tell the whole world how we're creatures of expectation. The laws of Nature are there because people put them there - in other words, we make our own laws because we consciously look for patterns in the world we live in.

Now, what if something that you thought would come true, something that you anticipated, something that you knew was going to happen - what if it didn't?

Get your pen out. Take out your pencil. Let your fingers float over the keyboard. It's time for you to write an essay on the following "What if?"

What if something that you were so excited about DID NOT take place?

This could be as simple as eating lunch at the right time today, or as complex as your own wedding. Now think: what would you do if all your best laid plans were laid to waste?

Don't forget to post your essays - or links to them - in the comments section! Good luck, and happy writing!

A "What If" for NaNoWriMo

Here's a "What If" that you can use for encouraging yourself while National Novel Writing Month rolls along. Write a short "What if" essay on your novel.

Specifically, tell your readers what your life would be like if your hastily-written, one-month-to-finish novel were published. Would you be famous, starring in your own movies, making the rounds of the talk shows, and getting millions of dollars stashed into your bank account? Would you still be joining NaNoWriMo?

You have only 1000 words at your disposal, so use them wisely. Post your answers in the comments section, or put in links to the page where your essay is posted. Happy fantasizing!

A What If for the Brokenhearted

The what ifs exercise is meant to open up your imagination and make you write stories that can go anywhere from realistic to out-of-this-world. But what happens when you get a what if that is an inevitable part of life – a what if that is almost impossible? Moreover: what if the potential answer was too idealistic and sweet?

Here's a challenge: come up with an essay that is engaging, descriptive, and yet entertaining all at the same time. You can write as many words as you want, and you do need to post your essay (or a link to it) in the Comments section of this blog.

Oh, and here's your What If:

What if there wasn't such a thing as heartbreak?

What If #2: You're About to be Famous!

...well, at least, only in your writing. Still, you get to pretend a bit - and this time, you might have to stretch your imagination a bit further if you've never played, or at the very least, never liked sports.

What if you were a sports star? Pick your favorite sport, or better yet, pick a sport that you don't necessarily like, but one you know that you could excel in if you were given the chance.

What if you were a world-famous star in that sport? What would your life be like? How would you deal with the media attention? How would you balance training with your numerous commercial endorsements?

Now, think of all your answers to these questions, and then write them in the form of a diary. You will need to write only one entry: it can be as long or as short as you like, and it should be set at the end of a long day spent doing what you think a famous sports star does. Pretend that you have all the time in the world to write a diary entry; pretend that you're that famous sports star who has a real life and personality behind the image.

When you're done, you can post either your entry or a link to it in the comments section. Good luck!

Happy pretending, and happy writing!

What If #1: The Last One on the Planet

.

"What if...you woke up one morning, and all the people in the world had disappeared?"

You're all alone on the planet. There is no one in sight. You decide to keep a diary of your new life. What would your very first entry be?

For this exercise, write in the form of a diary entry, and with the "What if" shown above. Your entry can be as long or as short as you like. Don't forget to share your work by either posting it, or posting a link to it, in the comments section!

Happy speculating!

A New Class of Tips: The What Ifs

Sure, every novel's plot really begins with a "what if" - but what if you couldn't think of a "what if" at the drop of a hat?

These special tips will present you with a "what if" that you can use to start writing. What if you could spend just an hour writing every day? What if you could squeeze in some writing hours and have fun with your pen or word processor? What if you could set your novel free?