Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone: A Writing Exercise
May 30, 2008 by Melissa Donovan
How comfortable are you with your writing?
Many writers specialize in a genre or niche. Creative writers are focused on fiction or poetry, copywriters specialize in web writing or marketing, and technical writers are steeped in jargon and code that other writers might find impossible to decipher.
Sure, some of us explore various types of writing, but how deeply are we willing to immerse ourselves in unknown waters?
A novelist might dip her toes in web writing. A copywriter might wade in children’s literature. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to dive into a completely new style of writing, or deeply explore a style you’ve only tested? This writing exercise will challenge you to do just that.
Do more than test the waters
I’m often proud of the fact that I’ve tried my hand at so many different types of writing. I am an experienced poet and blogger. I get paid to write articles, website copy, and press releases. I’ve written some fiction. And here’s where I always stop and hold my breath. Right when I get to the F-word. Fiction.
Sometimes I say that poetry is my first love because that’s what I started writing. But the truth is, my first love was fiction, because that’s what I read and what I’ve been reading for longer than I can remember. It stands to reason, then, that as a writer, one of my goals is to write a novel or get some short stories published.
But fiction seems to elude me, which is odd, considering I’ve read more fiction than anything else. It should be a breeze but I’ve always struggled with it. It’s not like I can’t do it. I can and I have and usually whatever I write is somewhat decent. But I have a hard time finishing a piece of fiction. I’m great at character development (you wouldn’t believe how many character files I’ve got). I’m not so great at coming up with villains though. And plots – forget about it. Every time I come up with a plot, I scratch it out because I feel like it’s already been done.
Setting Goals
Over the past few years, my apparent inability to complete a piece of fiction (even a short story) has created a huge barrier for me. It’s almost like the fact that I haven’t been able to master fiction has made me want to avoid it or just put it off for an unknown length of time.
This is a problem since I really, really want to write a novel.
One of my goals for this year is to step out of my comfort zone and get real cozy with fiction writing. I’ve spent time thinking about my strengths and weaknesses in this area and I’ve promised myself that I will participate in NaNoWriMo this November and attempt to produce a 50 thousand word manuscript, complete with plot and villain.
A Writing Exercise
For this week’s writing exercise, the objective is to set a goal to explore unfamiliar territory. Are you one of those people who only get in the pool if it’s more than 80 degrees (Fahrenheit)? Then get yourself into the freezing waters of the northern Pacific Ocean! Choose some type of writing that you’ve never attempted before or choose something that you’ve only toyed with. Or, choose a writing style that you’ve struggled with in the past. Just pick something that you have not mastered and then set yourself the goal of developing your weaknesses in that type of writing.
Seizing Opportunities
This week, an opportunity has arisen, one that I think will be a huge help in developing my fiction skills. The dynamic blogging duo Men with Pens have just launched a creative writing role playing game (RPG) at Escaping Reality. The concept is simple. You register for an account, create and submit a character (which has to be approved), and then join a story that is being generated by a group of writers.
If you’ve never collaborated before, this might be your chance to try something new. If you’re like me, and want to grow your skills in fiction, then this is a great way to push your boundaries. Or, if you just love to write and want to have some fun and meet other passionate writers, then get in and have a good time (note: space is limited so if you’re interested, hurry up).
Opportunities to be a better, more experienced, and multi-talented writer abound. And writing is probably the most accessible activity in the universe, requiring nothing more than a piece of paper and a writing instrument (or a computer with word processing software). Every time you launch Word, you’ve just created an opportunity to write something completely new and different, or to expand yourself as a writer.
What are you waiting for? You’ve got your Friday writing exercise. Tell us what you’re going to do about it!
If you have a writing exercise to share, feel free to post it in the comments or send it in as a guest post.
Read More Like This:
- Fiction Writing Exercises: Step Out of Your Shoes
- Flash Your Fiction: Writing Exercises
- Fiction Writing Exercises: A Dangerous Situation
- Getting Into Character: Fiction Writing Exercises
- Journal Prompts for Aspiring Writers
(Hey, that’s a nice foot. What? No, just because I wear funny shoes doesn’t mean I have a foot fetish… I just wouldn’t mind walking on the beach right now!)
I still need to make my character for the game (this weekend), and then I can add it to my other writing projects. I’ve also started some fiction myself (not sure if I mentioned to anyone yet), so I’ve got a non-fiction, some fiction, some humour stuff on the way, an e-book… just need a publisher!
Oprah! Oh, Oprah! I’m over here!!!
-Brett
Brett Legrees last blog post..viking fridays – words of praise.
Melissa
I’m fairly new to blogging. I’m still trying to discover “who I am”. I have a pretty good idea, but I’m still experimenting all over the place.
I recently tried something different…taking a break from my more sillier posts, I wrote a short story about my trout fishing. It wasn’t meant to be funny.
It was totally out of character with the rest of my blog, but this post received the greatest response so far.
Go figure (???).
It was very encouraging. It makes me want to try and write some more serious stories.
Friars last blog post..Five Flats in Eighteen Days
@Brett
What are you doing on Melissa’s blog right now? (And for that matter, what am I doing here?)
Shouldn’t we both be WORKING right now?
Friars last blog post..Five Flats in Eighteen Days
I love coming up with plots. I love pulling all the pieces of a story together and making them weave and twist and make something totally my own.
Besides, it makes me feel creative but also like I’m in on a secret–I know all the answers about what’s going on with my characters. It’s like being the first to know the ending of a movie, so that other people can whisper, “What happens next? Is she going to die?” and I can just smile knowingly and say, “Wait and see.”
–Debs last blog post..MM: Period
@Brett, Walking on the beach sounds awesome right now! I can’t wait till you join the game, and Oprah is going to LOVE you!
@Friar, I’ve had a similar experience where I write a post that’s significantly different from my usual fare and surprisingly get a huge response. Sometimes, I feel like I’ve written a really great piece and there’s almost no reaction. Other times, I throw something together last minute and the response is overwhelming. Go figure indeed! And who works on a Friday?
(me!) I’m sure Brett was just taking a break… heheh.
@Deb (Punctuality), Yes, I can relate to that. I have come up with some plots that made me feel the same way, but for some reason, I always abandon them. Maybe they are not as bad as I thought, or perhaps I just got tired of them. In any case, I’m hoping to work through it. When do we get to see some of your fiction???
@Melissa
I hear ya! The posts where I’ve tried to be insightful, into which I’ve put in a lot of thought have had luke-warm responses.
On the other hand, I show a photo of myself jumping in ice water which took 2 minutes to write (downloading the photo took more time). And it was one of my biggest hits.
It’s a crap shoot, I guess.
But I’m having fun trying to figure out what people like to read.
Friars last blog post..A Break from the Cube Farm…
Hey, thanks for the mention, and I’m glad you see the potential value for fiction writers. This is why we opened the game – because writers can improve through using the creative opportunities.
And it’s a damned lot of fun, too
@Friar, It’s definitely a crap shoot. But that’s part of the fun, I think.
@James, Well hello stranger! You’re right, it is DAMN fun. I’m still learning but I can definitely see how the RPG can improve my fiction skills. Plus, with you and Harry moderating, I also feel really safe. Anonymity doesn’t hurt either
The foot in that picture makes me really feel the need to take off my shoes and feel the sand… no, wait… I don’t have any sand.
I’d have to settle for dirt! 
I get what you’re saying, Melissa. It’s still not easy! I started a piddly fiction piece and have just left it alone–for months. I kind of didn’t like where it was going, not that it was bad, really. I just got frustrated and walked away….
*Off to check out the links*
*smiles*
Michele
@Michele, My guess is that the biggest challenge in writing a novel is to stick with it and actually finish it — even if you think it may not be very good or publishable. For me, one of the biggest distractions is getting caught up in another, newer, and better idea. And round I go! LOL.
Me too, Melissa! I need to focus. I’m pretty easily distracted with those newer, better ideas you’re talking about.
Micheles last blog post..Guest Post – Motivation to Write: Is There a Magic Formula?
It’s funny, I read this post and then thought about it for a few days and decided that my biggest weakness is that I don’t finish things because I think of something else to write instead. Then I came back to write about it and I see that others have the same problem
.
So I’m wondering Melissa (and others), do you think it’s worth it to just push through and try to finish something that you’ve kinda lost interest in- just for the sake of finishing something? It seems like it would probably ‘build character’, but it would also be tough!
I will say that when I go through old notebooks with abandoned stories or whatever, I’m sometimes a little amazed at what I wrote and wished I’d finished it… so maybe that is my answer- whether I like it or not!
Greers last blog post..Contrast Podcast- 2008 (so far)
@Greer, I wish I had the answer to your question. If I did, I would probably have completed a novel by now!
I do think it would help to push through. I tend to drift away from projects not because they bore me, but because a newer idea has captured my attention. I think it could help to store the new ideas in a notebook or journal and stay focused on the first idea. Also, setting goals and establishing a schedule might be helpful. For example, “I will write one chapter a week.”
I’m the same way when I go through old notebooks. My reaction is usually either “This is horrible, what was I thinking?” or “Damn! Did I really write that? It’s pretty good!”
(The other Deb, here.) Okay, so little time to much to say. Hmm, I’ll have to come back for a part 2. Anyway. I hope you do NaNo and don’t over think it. You will love it, you will hate it, you will curse it; but you will finish it. The thing I got out of it that has been most useful every day is that I can sit down and start writing more quickly. I started with no plot and never did name my characters; I used the initials MMC and MFC etc, and just knocked it out. I started with cards that prompted “a person,” “what happened,” and “an observation.” It was essentially Birdie Jaworski’s 3 index cards from “Words in a Row.”
More Later.
I was just reading your blog about fiction-writing and felt a lot of your comments rang true for me too. I have dabbled in writing, mainly as a journalist, now as a part-time web content writer for a few years, and always felt fiction too difficult to write. However, for some people there imagination is overflowing with ideas, but for others you perhaps need to feed it with research of your own. You may follow a similar story line, but write totally originally. And from what other successful writers have said, a lot of them draw from their own experiences or those of others and adapt them to the story. In journalism typically you’re never short of information, so it’s easy to write about something. I think you need to do a lot more research about the kind of subjects you want to write about, and then I’m sure you’re book will be finished in no time at all.
@Deb (gscottage), I’m definitely looking forward to NaNoWriMo! It’s not for four months but I have a feeling it will sneak up and be here before we know it!
@Anna, Yes, I think fiction is far more difficult than nonfiction because you can’t rely 100% on facts. Research may be involved but there’s also a lot of imagination at work. It takes commitment and dedication, especially when writing a novel as opposed to a short piece. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!
(the other Deb) I found the disconnects that arise in fiction the most frustrating thing. Where I started typing ended up becoming chapter five (I think) and the parts that percolated up that that chapter needed to have established as “facts in text” didn’t align the first couple of attempts thus the shift from chapter one to five. But hey, words on the page are words on the page when you’re doing NaNo.
One thing I had heard in an NPR interview with a writer-editor was that fiction writing is not about putting down what happened the “way it happened” because that will not feel real and nobody will believe it. I think it has to do with our monoptic (?) perspective because I had passages where I was drawing on a personal experience that felt very plastic until I assimilated the other person’s role and began to imagine things they might have debated with themselves or alternate choices they might have been forced to select from among and so forth.
And that was hard because the character became a fallible human instead of the cold stone statue that survival had rationalized. Hmm, maybe it is time to print it out and read it from beginning to end; just a thought for now.
@Deb (gscottage), It sounds like you learned a lot about your own writing from NaNo. I hope to do the same this year. One thing you said that I completely agree with is that you don’t write things “the way it happened.” I think the same is true in movies. There are tricks to making it real without adhering 100% to reality, and that’s part of the fun!
One other thing; find a NaNo forum community you can trust and be real with. NaNo would not have been possible without our weird, wacky, and downright hilarious group of women over 30. Jokes about knitted turkey hats (Google it) at 2am ET and name that 50/60/70’s tune. Okay, I’m in hysterics still after all these months. But I was the slowest typist and they all logged on and posted 30 minute prompts for 4 hours until my purple bar popped up with 90 minutes to go. And we formed a LiveJournal community where about half of us still hang out.
Melissa
I took your advice and stepped out of my normal boundaries.
I’m normally a smart-ass, and when I write, I like to parody and make fun of everything. But this time, I wrote a more serious and sad story.
I didn’t know what kind of response to expect. I never wrote anything like this before. But I was suprised to see all kinds of postive feedback.
Now I’ve discovered a whole “different” kind of writing that I can start exploring, and it excites me. I never realized I could do this before.
Thanks for the tip, to help get me started.
- Friar
Friars last blog post..The Dog Nobody Wanted
@Deb (gscottage), Yes, I imagine that it would be helpful to have a solid support system while doing NaNo – some folks to help keep you on your toes
@Friar, You’re a smartass? No! I never would have guessed! It’s fun to explore the many sides of oneself as a writer. You never know what you’re going to get