Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
Today’s exercise is a fun and interesting one (I hope).
I love the choose your own adventure stories. Do you fancy creating your own? Well, here is your chance.
Pick one of the following fairytales –
Little Red Riding Hood
Hansel and Gretel
Three Little Pigs
Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Once you’ve decided, take some time to think about the narrative – what happens throughout the story?
Write it out chronologically. Now, think about what could happen if you had other options in the story. For example, what if Little Red Riding Hood reached her Grandmother’s house and the Grandmother is the villain? However, due to a previous choice to help the wolf, he then comes to the rescue.
This is how you could begin –
Little Red Riding Hood begins the walk to her Grandmother’s house. She reaches a crossroads:
Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
Today, I wanted to focus on some free writing. Using the photo below, create a story.
What does the picture immediately conjure up? Is your protagonist in a boat and this is their view? Are they in a cave hidden along the coast? Why are they there? Who are they with? The sky is the limit with this prompt.
If you want to, you could always spend a few minutes writing down everything the picture sparks and then start your story from your notes.
Have fun.
It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.
The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.
Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.
Today’s prompt: Woken in a daze.
Your character wakes up in a room that doesn’t feel familiar.
However, going by the pictures on the walls, this seems to be where they live. They shout for someone, anyone to hear them but the home and the surrounding area remain quiet.
After checking the rest of the rooms, they go outside. Their head is hurting and vision is a litle blurred.
Out of the corner of their eye, they spot a movement…
Continue the story.
Have fun.
Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
I have what I hope is a fun exercise today.
Take the three main characters from your WIP and fill out their schedule. For example, the character I have chosen is a police officer –
07.00 – Wake up.
07.10 – Morning Run.
0.8.00 – Shower and dress,
9.00 – Morning briefing.
10.00 – Interview Mr Green.
11.00 – Meeting with DCI Morgan.
12.00 –
13.00 – Press conference.
14.00 –
15.00 – Pick up Arianna from ballet.
16.00 – Lisa due at the station.
Welcome Back To The Novel Kicks Writing Room.
Today, it’s all about our WIP’s. I know I need to focus on mine. If you’re in-between projects, think about an idea you’ve had for a while and been meaning to develop.
First, write down everything you do know about your plot and story.
Write the title of your WIP in the middle of an A4 piece of paper. Then write about what you do know about your main plot, sub-plots, characters, setting, genre, what it needs to meet in terms of beats? Are any elements of it connected to another – for example, if you’re doing a suspense novel, does part of your reveal at the end rely on one of the side characters?
Once you’ve filled in as much as you can with in terms of what you know, try and fill in the gaps. Remember, the novel you write is a living, breathing thing and subject to change but I’ve found this exercise helpful in giving myself a clear overview of the shape of my story.
Here’s an example I made earlier (excuse the handwriting).
It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.
The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.
Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.
Today’s prompt: A New Position.
Pick two of the following people –
. A police officer.
. A teacher who has just started their first job.
. A volunteer in a charity shop.
Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
Today, it’s about getting out and getting some fresh air. If you can get out to a park, a beach or take a walk, that would be great.
Now I know you may not have access to an outside space but don’t worry, just opening the window will do too. It’s all about just feeling the air on your face.
Set a timer for about 10 minutes, observe the things around you. What can you hear? Smell? Feel?
What’s the weather like and how is that affecting the scene in front of you? What’s your relationship with what you can see? Make notes as you sit. You could also record the sounds via your phone if you like.
Once you’ve finished observing, write a short story incorporating everything you’ve written down. Do it from a fictional character’s point of view. Maybe it’s their first time in this area? Maybe they’ve never seen a neighbourhood like yours?
Write up to 1,500 words.
Have fun.
Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
Many of us have heard of the saying, ‘let’s start at the beginning.’ I thought it would be interesting to approach our stories at a different place.
‘Two friends fall out within the story.’
Taking this premise, do the following –
Start the story at the beginning – instead of the beginning, wrtie a section from the end of this story. How do you see this premise ending?
Start in the middle – write a section from the middle of the story – from the heart of the action.
Conflict – write a scene that details the actual falling out. If you like, you could write from one point of view and then write it again but from the other point of view.
If you have a work in progress, feel free to use that rather than the premise above.
Have fun.
It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.
The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.
Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.
Today’s prompt: Your Fictional Hero/Heroine Comes To Visit
Picture this scene…
Your character is sat eating breakfast, minding their own business when there is a knock at the door.
Standing on the doorstep is their fictional hero/heroine. They are there – a living, breathing person.
Write about what happens next. What do they make of our world? What is the same? What is different? How do they react to things?
Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
Today, we will be focusing on writing a scene that will draw your reader in.
Pick a scene from one of your favourite books and read it.
Then re-read it. This time though, make a list of bullet points covering the following –
. What do you think is the goal from the author’s point of view?
. What plot points does it touch on?
. What characterisation does it reveal?
. What world-building does it disclose?
It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.
The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.
Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.
Today’s prompt: Freaky Friday.
After getting drunk and making a wish, your character wakes up to find they’ve swapped places with the person they admire most in the world or someone they feel has everything together like a rival or a celebrity.
Write about whether the grass is actually greener.
Hello and welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
For today’s excerise, we will be looking at plots. Pick two of the following –
Rags to Riches – Your character is changed by money.
Coming of Age – Your character potentially becomes something better because of what they’ve been through.
The Quest – Your character must go through a journey to acomplish something great.
Mystery – Your character must solve a puzzle.
Stranger – Someone new upsets the status quo.
Now write a story that combines them. The genre and style is up to you. Try to write at least 750 words.
I’d love to see them in the comments but no pressure to post. Have fun.
It’s Wednesday. Welcome to another Novel Kicks Writing Room session.
Today’s writing will focus around emotions.
Listening to a favourite song, reading a great book or watching a compelling film – these are great ways of feeling all the feels.
Do one of the following –
. Pick a favourite song and then a favourite lyric.
. Grab hold of your favourite book and then re-read your favourite scene.
. Think of your favourite movie and think back to an important scene.
Once you’ve done one of these things, think about the emotion it elicits. Then, write a piece where your character is listening/reading/watching the same thing. Do they react differently to you to the film/song/book? Try to write for at least 10 minutes.
It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.
The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.
Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.
Today’s prompt: Musical Days
Your character, who is usually someone who keeps to themselves, hates music and loves quiet, finds that when they wake up, they are singing. Everyone around them is singing and there is a full orchestral backing too.
Write about the day as your character tries to find out what has occurred? Who do they meet along the way?
Have fun!
Welcome to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
Today, the exercise is going to be focusing on showing, not telling. With your writing, you want to try and be as sensory as you can to pull the reader into your story.
The scene: your character is drunk and they’ve just arrived back at what they think is their home. Write a passage about what happens without once saying they are drunk.
What are they feeling?
What can they hear?
What can they touch?
What can they see?
What are they tasting?
Set a timer for 10 minutes. Have fun.
How did you find that exercise?
It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.
The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.
Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.
Today’s prompt: Three’s a Crowd
You have the chance to spend a day with three people of your choice. However, it’s all at the same time and not everyone gets on.
Write about the day.
Welcome to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
Today, we are going to be doing a little mixing and matching.
I’ve posted four pictures below. Your task is to pick the picture that you’re instantly drawn to:

Pictures created using AI – Adobe Firefly.
Once you’ve picked a picture, pick one of the following combinations of genres:
Once you’ve got your picture and genre combination, set your alarm for 20 minutes and write as much of a story as you can, using the elements you’ve chosen.
Have fun.
Hello Wednesday and I’m pleased to be welcoming everyone back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
I don’t know about you but I am a big planner when it comes to my daily life. I don’t always keep to the schedule but it’s the thought that counts right? Haha.
So, today is all about making a plan – a plan for your character.
Grab an A4 piece of paper and down one side, write the times out as if you were looking at a diary –
7am –
8am-
9am…
…and so on until you get to 11pm.
Once you’ve done that, either pick someone from a piece you’re working on or alternatively you could pick a character from the list below –
Dentist
Ballerina
Lawyer
A Parking Attendant
It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.
The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.
Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.
Today’s prompt: If I Could Do Anything?
Start with the line – ‘If I could do anything’, from the point of view of one of the following people – delivery person, student, politician, a single parent, an animal.
Hello Wednesday and welcome to another Novel Kicks Writing Room.
For our exercise today, I thought it would be interesting to write and then rewrite.
Pick from the following genres – Romance, Thriller, Dystopian or Fantasy.
Write a scene which includes the following details:
A open envelope with an address scribbled on it in unfamilar handwriting.
A library with sunlight coming in from the window.
A muddy footprint.
Once you’ve written your scene, pick another genre from the list above and rewrite your scene. Once you’ve done that, pick another genre and rewrite the scene again.
Write a minimum of 10 minutes each time. How different or similar did each one seem? Was one genre easier than the others? I’d love to know how you got on in the comments below.
Hello and welcome to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
How are these Wednedsay’s coming round so quickly?
The exercise today is one I find interesting and I hope you do too.
Genre is an important aspect of a novel. However, what happens when we change things around a little?
Pick one of your favourite novels. Once you’ve done that, rewrite one of the scenes. The twist…change the genre and the events. For example, if your book is a mystery, try writing the scene as a comedy. For example, what would Jane Austen’s Emma be like if it was a crime thriller?
I’ve included some titles below if you can’t decide which book to pick.
Bridget Jones’ Dairy (Helen Fielding) – Contempory Fiction.
The Shawshank Redemption (Stephen King) – Thriller.
David Copperfield (Charles Dickens) – Fictional Autobiography
It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.
The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.
Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.
Today’s prompt: Jumping into your favourite world.
Pick your favourite fictional world. It can be from any medium – books, films, video games, even a music video.
You find yourself waking up in this world. Put yourself into the shoes of one of the characters. Write a scene from your point of view. How would you react to the world?
For example, if your choice is Bridget Jones’ Diary and you found Mark Darcy at your door closely followed by Daniel Cleaver, forget how Bridget reacted and that scene as you know it. Put yourself and your reactions and emotions into that scene.
Have fun.
Hello Wednesday and I’d like to welcome everyone back to another Novel Kicks Writing Room.
For today’s task, I thought it would be fun to concentrate on writing dialogue.
Many of us will hold conversations whilst doing something else and your character will be no different.
Spend a few minutes listing some activities. Then pick an activity from that list and write a piece using mostly dialogue. Make sure to incorporate the activity into the piece.
Here are some examples of activities should you need them –
Driving a car.
Washing up.
Walking around a supermarket.
Painting a wall.
Moving house.
It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.
The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.
Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.
Today’s prompt: Labyrinth.
Using the prompts below, write a story.
Start with this line – ‘I didn’t know how long it would take me to find the centre’. Write 100 words.
Then use the next sentence – ‘I couldn’t believe that I was standing in front of a…’. Write 100 words.
Then use the next sentence – ‘I think I need to steal that…’. Write 100 words.
Then use the next sentence – ‘They were both identical but each held a different power. One I needed, one I didn’t. I only had one chance to pick the right one’.
Write at least another 100 words.
Hello all. Happy Wednesday.
Today, the exercise requires you to use one of the sentences below as a starting point. Once you’ve picked one, write for five minutes.
Set a timer, don’t stop and just write until the time is up.
Feel free to change the POV if you’d rather write in third person.
‘When I look back…’
‘I couldn’t believe what I was hearing…’
‘We, the jury find Cara Hardy not guilty…’
‘Once the bright light faded, the fear…’
‘The audience goes quiet as you step onto the stage…’
Hello Wednesday.
You made it. You’re halfway through the week. It’s time for another Novel Kicks Writing room writing exercise.
Today, I thought it would be good to take the following starting line and then write in different styles.
The starting line is as follows: ‘the last thing I broke was.’
Now pick a genre:
Crime/psychological thriller
Romance
Dystopian
Historical
It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.
The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.
Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.
Today’s prompt: Choose a symbol.
You wake up one morning and there is a tree in your garden that was not there before.
When you go out and inspect it, you realise that there is a door. There is a mark on it.
The mark is one of the following:
A four leaf clover
A love heart
A sword
Your character picks one door and walks through.
Write a story based on the symbol you picked. However, the symbol you’ve picked is representative of what is not present or needed in the world and you have to make it right.
Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
Today, I thought we’d have a go at doing an interactive story where you can choose your own adventure.
Here is a link to writing.com to give you an idea of what you’re aiming for in terms of mechanics. Have a go at one or two of the stories. It can be very enjoyable. I loved the choose your own adventures as a child.
Next, find a story of your own. I found an idea by googling ‘interactive story generator AI’.
Once you’ve picked a story, write story threads for at least two characters with two endings.
This is a task that may take a while but it’s an interesting way to create a plot.
I hope you have fun.
Welcome to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
This is our online writing group. Each Wednesday, there is a new writing task. Anyone is welcome. I’d love to see your work in the comments below but there is absolutely no obligation.
For today’s task, we are going to be thinking about what we like and what we dislike.
First, set a timer for three minutes. In this time, write down all the things you like. Don’t think, just write what comes to mind.
Next, reset the timer for another three minutes. This time, write a list of all the things you don’t like.
No-one else will be seeing this list so don’t be frightened to make a note of everything you like and dislike.
I’m wishing you a Happy Wednesday and welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
Today’s exercise is about bringing two stories together.
Pick two stories – genre is entirely up to you. Picking two books from different genres could be fun.
Pick a section from each. One or two pages is enough.
Now, spend a few minutes making notes about how you can bring these two stories together.
Now set a timer for 20 minutes and write your combined story.
Hello Wednesday and welcome to all of you.
For today’s writing room, I wanted to explore a creative prompt.
You can either pick a WIP of your own, use a favourite story or your own life story.
Whatever you choose, try to write the story in ten sentences.
If you’re feeling brave, I’d love to see your writing in the comments.
Have fun.
Reflections in Conversations.
Happy Wednesday everyone.
What I thought we could do today is write a conversation in two parts.
The situation of your story is as follows – your character is a clown and has just been fired. They’ve been told that the upcoming performance is their last one. In the first conversation you write, your character is having a conversation with another colleague just after they’ve been fired.
Then write the conversation again but the clown is alone. He is looking into the mirror as he’s putting on his make-up. He is talking to his reflection.
How different are the two conversations? Would the clown be saying something different to his colleague than he would to his reflection?
Write up to 500 words per conversation.
If you feel like sharing your writing, please do post in the comments below.
Have fun.
The art of writing letters is so wonderful.
I am such a fan of writing letters and fascinated in what can be said and the emotion that can be conveyed – how handwriting your thoughts and feelings to someone and the symbolism that represents.
So, what is the task today I hear you ask?
Writing a letter of course.
The letter is from the point of view of either the main character of a current work in progress or a favourite fictional character. The recipient is you.
What would your character say to you? What would they want to convey? Is there something about them that they want to tell you?
Today, I wanted to focus on a writing prompt with a bit of a twist.
Your word target is a minimum of 1000 words.
The prompt – The story begins when your character discovers an object that convinces them that they can have the superpower they desire the most.
Begin your story using the prompt and one of the genres below. It doesn’t matter which one you start with.
Here’s the twist – every 200 words, change the genre, choosing another from the list.
Romance
Horror
Sci-fi
For today’s writing room, I thought it would be fun to do a bit of free writing today but with a few additions.
Your prompt is that your character realises they have gained the ability to be invisible at will.
What do they do first? What are the consequences.
Also, just to add to the challenge, try adding these words –
Elephant, nightmare, market, eccentric, bibble. cattywampus.
Have fun with it and I look forward to hoping seeing your writing in the comments below if you feel up to sharing.
Today, we are looking at changing a piece of prose to a script.
I feel that it’s good to change things up every so often.
I don’t know about you but, when I am writing, I imagine everything as though I am watching a movie. I found this helps.
Take a passage from something you’ve written and convert it into a script. What would you add/take out? What would the background look like? Would you include music? Continue reading
It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.
The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.
Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.
Today’s prompt: Continuation Ever After.
Today, think of your favourite fairytale and how it ended. Now write a continuation of the story. Did Cinderella adjust to Palace life or did she crave her country house? Did Belle spend all her time in the library and this annoyed the beast?
Did Hansel and Gretel face any consequences for what they did to the witch?
Have fun.
Today, we are going to be making a list.
If you’re anything like me, you love a list. I feel more in control if I have a to-do list for example. Whether I complete that is another matter. Haha.
As writers, we can also benefit from having lists and that is the task today.
Grab your writers notebook and pick three of lists below. Make a list for each. Then, if you feel like doing so/are inspired, begin a story to include some of the things from your list. Begin with this first line – ‘I didn’t expect that to happen.’
List ideas:
What 10 things would you grab if your house was on fire?
Which five things could you never forgive?
List five of the worst presents you’ve ever received.
List five places you’d love to go on holiday.
List five situations you’d never like to find yourself in?
List five people who have had an influence on your life.
It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.
The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.
Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.
Today’s prompt: Accidental Mind Reader.
On your way to a job interview, your character falls over and hits their head. They don’t think too much about it until the next morning.
They wake up and discover they can hear the thoughts of other humans and animals around them.
Write a conversation between your character and either another person or animal.
For today’s writing room, I thought we could write some micro fiction.
Short stories are deceptively hard to write, micro fictions even more so.
Pick three out of the following genres – gothic, romance, horror, sci-fi, historic, young adult.
Now, write a 6 word short story, a 50 word short story and a 100 word short story assigning one of the genres you’ve picked to each one.
For example, I’ve chosen gothic to the 6 word short story:
Midnight struck; she’s now lost forever.
Let me know how you get on in the comments below and as always, if you feel brave enough to post your work, I’d love to read it.
Have fun!
Hello and welcome to the first Novel Kicks Writing Room of 2023.
Today, I thought it would be fun to write a short story.
Before you begin writing, pick one thing from each section. Don’t overthink it, just write down the one you’re immediately drawn to. Once you’ve done this and written your piece, ask what kind of story it is. Is it a rag to riches, a quest? You get the idea.
Let me know how you found this exercise in the comments below or if you’re feeling brave, feel free to post your story.
Section one – pick one of the following occupations.
A joiner, a detective, an oil rig worker, an ice hockey player, a diplomat.
Section Two – pick one of the following places.
The alps, a basement, top of the Shard, a cat sanctuary, a bank vault.
Section Three – now pick an object.
For today’s writing room, change a story’s POV.
Sometimes, it can be good to change it up a little.
Take a passage from either a current work in progress of your own or a favourite novel.
Change the POV of the main character and rewrite the passage.
What would a scene from Pride and Prejudice be like from the point of view of Lady Catherine De Burgh or what about if Rom was the main character in a Harry Potter scene?
I am currently preparing for National Novel Writing Month. October is known as Preptober.
This got me thinking about structure and I have come across many variants of a three-act structure.
Take an idea you have and plan the plot using the following as a guide.
Act One:
1. Introduce your character and their world.
2. An event that sets the story in motion.
3. Determine what happens next.
Act Two:
4. Determine the goal that isn’t going to come easily.
5. The game changer.
6. The decision.
Act Three:
Tuesday 13th September 2016: Setting.
For today’s writing exercise, we’re going to be looking at setting.
Choose a place that you know well. Place your work in progress or an idea you’re thinking about developing into this setting.
Now think of an event that began up to a month before the beginning of your story.
Then, by only describing the place/setting reveal as much as you can about the story and the characters.
Tuesday 12th July 2016:
Today’s writing group exercise is about introducing something unexpected.
Take something you’re working on at the moment. Make a copy of it (one that you can discard after.)
Now, using that copy, pick a major point in the story and introduce something unexpected into it. If it’s a serious subject, introduce something crazy like a talking animal circus or if it’s a lighthearted plot, introduce something serious into it. What if a unicorn suddenly popped up in a history lesson where your character has just assured the students that unicorns don’t exist?
How do your characters react to the change?