Let Your Characters Guide You
On Thursday, 17 March 2022, Hillfire Press hosted their first workshop, entitled How to Write. The workshop was hosted by Editor-in-Chief Lena Kraus and Digital Marketer Marshea Makosa.
We would like to thank everyone who joined our event live. We hope you enjoyed it! To anyone who missed it, check out our Events Page for upcoming programs or follow our Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. We also have a newsletter you can subscribe to. Please let us know in the comments what types of events you would like to see in the future.
The workshop reminded us that writing is about following a story, not necessarily about telling one. While, as authors, we may be the ones who decide the overarching conflict of the story, we have to have faith that our characters will tell us where they need to go. It is nearly impossible to make it from Point A to Point B without our characters wanting to explore Alleyway C or check-in with a friend at Door D.
Your characters will also reveal traits about themselves that you didn’t think to consider while outlining. Do they cut the crust off their sandwiches or refuse to wear a certain color? They’ll tell you. And their answers will help them resolve whatever conflicts you are making them face. No matter how improbable it seems.
Short stories can sometimes feel daunting because they require so much in so few words. However, if you get to know your characters well enough, you’ll find that you can write an entertaining piece in only a handful of pages.
While the workshop included multiple engaging prompts to help strengthen your short story, we wanted to share one of them here. Please feel free to respond to this prompt in the comments below (You may even get a response from one of our talented editors!). We only ask that you keep your word count no more than 300-500 words. Point of view, location, language, and every other detail is up to you as an author (although some of you may find that your characters are actually the ones in control).
Describe a short walk through a hotel following behind a character who is there to collect a package.
If you need some help starting this exercise consider the below questions:
Does the follower know the person in front of them?
Does the character know the follower is behind them?
Does the character seem confident?
Is the character avoiding rooms or eye contact with others?
Does the follower know the character is collecting a package? If yes, how?