By Beaver

Outline a short story (5 or 6 scenes) in reverse order, i.e. sketch out the last scene first, and so on.

By Beaver

Want to get that novel you’ve been “meaning to write” actually written? You need a plan. Take some time now and plot out a writing schedule (when & where) that you can keep for the next 3 months, 6 months, year–however long you can see yourself planning in advance. (When you reach the end of your schedule, either revise it or extend it.) Sit down with your daybook and ink in your writing appointments. Now, treat ’em just like work, school, and pesky dentist appointments. You don’t always want to go, but you go anyway.

By Beaver

Have a complete story/novel that you can’t seem to stop editing? Try this. First, read it straight through without changing a thing. If you find this impossible, you may have more success swapping stories with a friend and doing this exercise for each other. Once you’ve read your whole story, set it aside and just think about it for a while. What are your themes? One or two main themes should consistently guide the action. Did anything seem out of place or seem not to fit? Scenes and chapters should run seamlessly together to build the story. Don’t worry about the details–just think about what images and ideas linger even when the words aren’t in front of you. For more about seeing the big picture, read Stepping Back.

By Beaver

Look over you work-in-progress. Have you written about something you don’t know? Try one or more of the ideas suggested in “Just Call Me Trickster” to make your character’s experience more authentic.

By Beaver

Is to enter the Three Cheers & A Tiger Contest in September. Get some practice in now by choosing any one of the calendar prompts and trying to write a complete story based on it in two days or less.

By Beaver

The point of this poem can be anything you like, but the poem must revolve around a pizza.

By Beaver

Choose two of your own characters who you are comfortable writing about. Write a sex scene of at least one page using these two characters. Be as euphemistic or graphic as you like, but avoid clichés and purple prose.

By Beaver

Using the three-paragraph structure Baker outlines in her article, make yourself a query letter template that you can save and tailor as needed. Don’t forget your address, a greeting and a closing.

By Beaver

Write a 500-1000 word article on something you are already familiar with and/or have an interest in. Interview an expert on your subject and include quotes to flesh out your article. Verify your facts are accurate by referencing at least one independent source. Post it at What I Tell You Three Times is True for feedback before you start querying it.