#helpful writing exercises

[choshashio]

12 Writing Exercises to help develop your character and their voice.

Editors note - There's a lot of boring writers drivel. So, to spare you from the headache if you're not interested, your characters individual voices and personalities are important for engaging stories and interesting plots. You can skip down to the end for the exercises.

Think about the people you know, the people you love. What's one thing they have in common, besides the obvious? They're all uniquely different. Everyone in the world is different in some way, even in media. Books and movies all have unique sounding characters that are different from each other. In Harry Potter, for example, All of the characters have their own voice, even the Weasley twins are different in their own ways.

Complex and unique characters that sound different, interact and speak differently, make for engaging books and dynamics.

I don't know anybody who would want to read a 50,000 word novel about two boring characters, who're exactly alike, and talk in the same monotonous tone. You can have a character who is "boring." who speaks monotonously and still have an interesting novel that people would read.

Having different characters who come together to create funny, interesting, or weird dynamics makes for a readable piece. Take your monotonous character, by themselves, they're kind of boring. They're not engaging to follow. But, introducing different characters to come and interact with your "boring" character, creates funny and memorable dynamics.

Think the anime Saiki K, or Veronica Sawyer from Heathers. If you took only those two characters, and stripped away all of the background characters, they wouldn't make for very interesting stories. Saiki would be happy, living his days in peace and quiet. Veronica would just be a normal edgy high school girl. But if you bring the side characters back, you bring the story and their conflicts back. Saiki goes back to being annoyed by his weird and goofy friends, wishing for peace and quiet. Veronica goes back to being tormented by JD and the group dynamic in the Heathers clique.

These stories utilize background characters to create conflict in their main characters' lives, and makes fun and interesting stories and dynamics with them.

Without further ado, here are 12 exercises to help you develop your characters, and get you thinking.

Ask your character what they want, and have them monologue about it.

Think about who, in your life, does your character remind you of.

Ask yourself, What does my character want, and what does my character need? How do they conflict with each other, and how does this affect my story?

A good exercise to help you write characters interacting, and practice dialogue is to do the ABCD exercise. 

The ABCD exercise is writing a full page, or 500 words, of dialogue between two characters, character a and character b, talking about what they think character c thinks of character d. Then, write another page depicting how character c actually interacts with character d.

Write journal entries from the pov of your character.

Think about your character's habits, nervous tics, or tells, and write out a page where they do those things.

Think about something your character holds dear to them, and give the item a backstory.

Think about how your character interacts with other characters, and write a page for each interaction. 

Think about a belief or opinion your character has, and write a page of dialogue, where your character is explaining their belief, and why they believe in it, to another character.

Write a page about your character reminiscing, or talking, about a cherished memory from their past, or childhood.

Write a page of dialogue about character a telling character c about character b, whom c has never met before, what kind of things do they say? What do they think of b? Then write another page from character c’s point of view, what are they thinking? How do their thoughts of b change? What do they think of character a? How do they imagine character a and b’s relationship?

Write a page about a character being forced into a situation with their greatest fear. Then, if you want to go a step further, write a page of the same thing, but introduce another character that the first holds dear to them, or wants to protect.

[luna-azzurra]

I don't know if you've already been asked this, but what are some clever ways to describe a person's beauty in a sense that is more indirect. Instead of words like 'pretty, beautiful, alluring, shining, etc.'

Oh, I love this. The easiest way to show someone’s impact without describing them outright is to show how other people respond to them. Maybe...

Conversations softened when she entered the room, like the air itself had shifted to make space for her.

His presence was the kind that made people sit up straighter, like they wanted to match whatever energy he carried without even realizing it.

She had a way of making people lose track of their own sentences, blinking mid-thought like they had forgotten where they were going with it.

Or Instead of saying what they look like, describe what sticks in people’s minds afterward. Something like that...

Her voice stayed with you, low and slow, like a song you’d heard before but couldn’t place.

He smelled like rain on pavement, something sharp and clean and impossible to forget.

She had this way of looking at people, like she was already a few steps ahead in the conversation, waiting for them to catch up.

Maybe you want to drop something unexpected about them that makes the reader pause...

There was something reckless about his smile, like it had broken hearts before and would do it again without a second thought.

Her laughter didn’t just fill the room, it rearranged it, drawing people toward her like they didn’t even realize they were moving.

His face wasn’t the kind you described in features. It was in the way he existed, effortless and certain, like he’d never once questioned his place in the world.

Or through Movement...

She moved like she had time to spare, like the world had always been kind to her and she had no reason to rush.

His hands told a story when he talked, painting shapes in the air that made people watch even when they weren’t listening.

She didn’t walk. She arrived, like the moment had been waiting for her to catch up.

Or through Unintentional Impact... This is my personal favorite, describe the way a person changes the space around them.

People didn’t just look at him; they adjusted, leaning in without meaning to, like gravity had shifted in his direction.

She wasn’t loud, but somehow, silence belonged to her. When she spoke, it felt like the world quieted just to hear what she had to say.

He wasn’t the kind of person you noticed immediately. But once you did, he was impossible to ignore.

Let me know if you want more! I could go on for days with this. 😍

[me-writes-prompts]

:-"I've found my other half" Two introverts in love with each other prompts-:

(I looooooove this trope, so thank you anon for this request! Tag me if you write these, pleaseeee!!!!)

By @me-writes-promtps

Going to the same bookstore, and they notice the other one is checking out the same book as them

^^"I love that book. It's my 7th re-read." "No way. I'm also doing a re-read :)"

The classic bumping into each other in a coffee shop, except they're both a little awkward and don't know what to say

"It's crowded in here, isn't it?" "Yeah. I hate having to take the subway every day." "Really? me too!"

"I hope you don't mind the silence." "It's alright when it's with the right person."

Exchanging shy smiles across the room <3333

Noticing little details about them

^^"How do you know this is my favorite food?" "You're always eating it." "Well, not always!" "Oh yes, always."

When they both love museums>>>

"This place is my favorite getaway." "Mine too. It's quiet and peaceful here."

They can communicate through their eyes alone

Sitting next to each other in an empty theater and finding out they both love the not-so-popular movie

[lockheed-martin-unofficial]

Some exercises to get to know an oc!

(I’ve designed this list so that it requires no art or proper writing at all, it can mostly be done by doing picrews, describing and answering questions. )

1. Your oc as a playable video game character, (special abilities and stats). Bonus: write dialogue or one-liners.

2. If they played Dungeons and Dragons, what would their character be like?

3. Evil version of them

4. contents of their bag/ items they always carry around.

5. Average shopping list

6. various outfits for scenes or occasions

7. character’s wedding dress (yes, put that man in a dress.), or any other fancy outfit they would have

8. Graphic design: advertisement for their (perhaps nonexistent and/or illegitimate) business, wedding invite card, cult pamphlet,etc

9. Your oc is on the news for something they did. What did they do‼️

10. Mess around with the incorrect quotes/ headcanon generator

11. Take “what x are you” quizzes as them

12. what crimes are they most likely to get caught for? And what crimes are they most likely to get away with?

13. Describe or show how they would take notes for their studies, research, job, etc. this is better than a diary page, because it doesn’t demand you to get into character so much. Also less awkward.

14. A little known skill they have

15. Your oc watches Transformers. Which version of Megatron would be their favorite? Go on look all of them up right now and decide which one they would vibe with the most.

16. Need to prepare a really quick breakfast/lunch/dinner. What do they go with?

Feel free to send me asks with these and optionally the name of one of my ocs, and I will answer them.

OR you can give me a canon character and I’ll answer in a way I think would be accurate to them.

I hope other people can have fun with this as well. Feel free to repost!

[prompt-heaven]

100 different AUs

academic au

alien au

alpha/beta/omega au

amnesia au

apocalypse au

artist au

arranged marriage au

assassin au

athlete au

babysitter/nanny au

bakery au

bartender au

billionaire au

bodyguard au

bodyswap au

bookstore au

bounty hunter au

brother's best friend/dad's best friend au

camgirl au

camp counselor au

chef au

circus au

coffee shop au

cowboy au

cult au

dark au

deserted island au

dog walker au

dystopian au

enemies to lovers/rivals au

fairy tale au

fake relationship au

fantasy au

farm au

firefighter au

fisherman au

flower shop au

friends with benefits au

ghost au

grocery store au

guardian angel au

haunted house au

historical au

hitchhiker au

holiday au

hospital au

hunter/prey au

kidnapping au

law enforcement au

library au

lifeguard au

lumberjack au

mafia/mob au

maid/butler au

magic au

master/slave au

mechanic au

mermaid au

model au

modern au

monster au

mundane au

music store au

neighbour au

office/coworker au

paranormal investigator au

pen pal au

pirate au

prison au

private detective au

reincarnation au

road trip au

rockstar au

roommate au

royalty au

scientist au

sex worker au

single parent au

slasher au

soulmates au

space au

spy au

stalker au

stepcest au

street racer au

sugar daddy au

superhero au

surfer au

tattoo artist au

teacher/professor/tutor au

time travel au

treasure hunter au

undercover au

vampire/werewolf au

veterinarian au

vigilante au

wedding planner au

western au

witch au

yandere au

[conindiundrum]

A good character will be misunderstood by some of the viewers. Just like a real person.

Bestie you just have to be okay with it. You have to be cool with misinterpretation of the consumers part. You could put it in the simplest terms ever and someone will still murder your vision with crazy things I’ve read on this and many other apps. So write it good. Write it complex. Most of all just write it, you can fix mistakes later.

[scealaiscoite]

‧₊˚ 🎧 ✩ a hundred dialogue prompts

(but it’s one lyric each from my wrapped playlist)

¹⁾ “you say you want me, but you know i’m not what you need.”

²⁾ “all i ever needed is here, in my arms.”

³⁾ “call the police, there’s a madman around!”

⁴⁾ “i miss the man i was the moment we left off.”

⁵⁾ “you’d be surprised the places i find jesus.”

⁶⁾ “just trust me; you’ll be fine.”

⁷⁾ “i hope he never lets me down again.”

⁸⁾ “tonight you’ll have the answer.”

⁹⁾ “not what you want- i’m what you need.”

¹⁰⁾ “didn’t call when i got your number but i liked you a lot.”

¹¹⁾ “i take my whiskey neat.”

¹²⁾ “and i’m not here to be the saviour you long for.”

¹³⁾ “are you ready to swear, right here, right now?”

¹⁴⁾ “baby, take my hand!”

¹⁵⁾ “this could all be yours.”

¹⁶⁾ “i’m granting you more than the debt that i owe.”

¹⁷⁾ “am i worth saving?”

¹⁸⁾ “it’s made you colder.”

¹⁹⁾ “can you figure me out?”

²⁰⁾ “come on- take a ride with me.”

²¹⁾ “it’s too late for me now.”

²²⁾ “mama always said i was born on the wild side.”

²³⁾ “i’d sell my soul for you, babe.”

²⁴⁾ “i’ll do whatever it takes. i’ll go to my grave protecting me and mine.”

²⁵⁾ “i’m proud of all my scars.”

²⁶⁾ “i’m not the girl i set out to be.”

²⁷⁾ “lipstick, chemtrails, red flags, pink nails- “

²⁸⁾ “i’ll be gone by the morning light.”

²⁹⁾ “summer is slipping through my fingers.”

³⁰⁾ “man, i hate this part of texas.”

³¹⁾ “if you want a cowboy on a white horse… hold on tight, because i’m not there yet.”

³²⁾ “no rest for the wicked.”

³³⁾ “things we buried low are coming to the surface now, my love.”

³⁴⁾ “they say i’m trouble and i don’t give a damn.”

³⁶⁾ “i got a taste for men who’re older.”

³⁷⁾ “it’s my feeling we’ll win in the end.”

³⁸⁾ “i need you to see me for what i have become.”

³⁹⁾ “baby bunny, come clean.”

⁴⁰⁾ “can you taste it?”

⁴¹⁾ “i grew up with a gun in my hand.”

⁴²⁾ “call me when you get the chance.”

⁴³⁾ “they said this day wouldn’t come.”

⁴⁴⁾ “this is an omen. a warning.”

⁴⁵⁾ “that’s how you know that i’m coming for you.”

⁴⁶⁾ “anything to get me to sleep.”

⁴⁷⁾ “five in the morning ain’t no time to say goodbye.”

⁴⁸⁾ “you can’t be my saviour- i can’t be your sinner.”

⁴⁹⁾ “he’s sitting in the corner with a six pack of corona.”

⁵⁰⁾ “take everything.”

⁵¹⁾ “we can be like they are.”

⁵²⁾ “what do you want from me?”

⁵³⁾ “this summer i might’ve drowned.”

⁵⁴⁾ “we were tangled up like branches in a flood.”

⁵⁵⁾ “i ain’t proud of all the punches that i’ve thrown.”

⁵⁶⁾ “pick yourself up, get back on again.”

⁵⁷⁾ “i need some room to breathe.”

⁵⁸⁾ “did you not say we were made for each other?”

⁵⁹⁾ “well, i grew up in the fallout from the riots in the nineties.”

⁶⁰⁾ “i’m missing you still.”

⁶¹⁾ “i can never take back the pain i’ve caused.”

⁶²⁾ “now i’ve said too much.”

⁶³⁾ “won’t you do this for me, son, if you can?”

⁶⁴⁾ “the damage is already done.”

⁶⁵⁾ “i’m scared of nothing and i’m scared to death.”

⁶⁶⁾ “you can hold me like he held her.”

⁶⁷⁾ “it wakes me in the middle of the night.”

⁶⁸⁾ “wash away the blood on my hands.”

⁶⁹⁾ “the dreams in which i’m dying are the best i’ve ever had.”

⁷⁰⁾ “i won’t back down.”

⁷¹⁾ “leave me alone in the dark.”

⁷²⁾ “i’ve been waiting for her, oh, so long.”

⁷³⁾ “help me to decide.”

⁷⁴⁾ “the money’s all gone.”

⁷⁵⁾ “hell, i ain’t the devil.”

⁷⁶⁾ “would we grow old together?”

⁷⁷⁾ “i’m a few years older than you.”

⁷⁸⁾ “so don’t say you love me- ‘cause you’ll never love me.”

⁷⁹⁾ “i’ve seen it all a million times.”

⁸⁰⁾ “you can always reach me.”

⁸¹⁾ “i don’t know who you think i am.”

⁸²⁾ “my darling believe me, i was born to be with you.”

⁸³⁾ “between the pain, and the way you look- “

⁸⁴⁾ “you can say that we are nothing, but you know the truth.”

⁸⁵⁾ “oh, i’m gonna lose control.”

⁸⁶⁾ “how d’you live like this?!”

⁸⁷⁾ “do you like that?”

⁸⁸⁾ “would you push me away again?”

⁸⁹⁾ “she’s a bad girlfriend.”

⁹⁰⁾ “today’s music ain’t got the same soul.”

⁹¹⁾ “i’m afraid they’re gonna find you.”

⁹²⁾ “i was far too scared to hit him, but i would hit him in a heartbeat now.”

⁹³⁾ “what am i to do?”

⁹⁴⁾ “come see what i mean.”

⁹⁵⁾ “i’ll never let you go.”

⁹⁶⁾ “getting drunk’s fine, it’s the getting by that’ll get a soul down.”

⁹⁷⁾ “come out from all your hidin’ out.”

⁹⁸⁾ “i ain’t perfect but i’m learning how to be the best i can.”

⁹⁹⁾ “i don’t ever wanna feel like i did that day.”

¹⁰⁰⁾ “and it was my mistake, ‘cause she never said a thing about jesus.”

[stanfiction]

MABEL RECIEVES A LETTER....

her response...

( inspired by @cravingpepsimax 's fujoshi bill AU )

[inmyglowupera]

Write yourself a letter.

Write a Letter to Your Future Self

Whenever I go on a trip, I like to send postcard to my family and friends and since 2022, I got into the habit of sending postcard to myself. They make for singularly special mementos, offering a chance for introspection and alignment with your present and future.

(Bonus: they are such a nice creative outlet too! I love choosing pretty stationary, matching the proper wax seal, adding flowers that I dried in books I carried during my trip and tying them in pretty ribbons.)

As we entered a new year, a letter to your future self is a powerful way to reflect on who you are now, set intentions, and connect with the person you want to become. Here’s how to get started:

1. Reflect on the Present: Share your current challenges, achievements, and what you’re most proud of. Capture this moment in your life—your habits, interests, and hopes.

2. Set Goals and Dreams: Write about where you want to be in the future—your personal growth, career, health, and relationships.

3. Encourage Yourself: Include words of motivation and kindness for future you, reminding them of your resilience and values.

4. Ask Questions: What do you want to know about your future self? Did you achieve your goals? Are you proud of the person you’ve become?

5. Visualize the Future You: Picture the person you want to be in 2026. What does their life look like? Write this as if you’re observing them, channeling their strength and habits into your life now.

This practice isn’t just for the future—it’s a tool to guide your actions today and align with the life you dream of. You can even write yourself monthly or quarterly so when you reread yourself at the end of the year, you see how you progress and how your thoughts changed.

What would you tell the future version of yourself? 💌

[pridoo]

There’s a tingle in my palm where your touch landed. Like a ghost, there is a hidden mark of your presence under my skin. What does it mean to be touched by a ghost? I crave for touch but I also abhor it. I want your warm body next to mine. Telling me I’m alive, you’re here with me. I close the distance again. Body to body. A pulse, like a warning, goes through me. But it’s a reminder, not an alarm. That for a brief moment we occupy the same space, I feel your temperature, and you feel mine. 19/11/24

This is my first drabble (100 words exactly) I'm making as an exercise when writing my thesis. This one is touch-starved EkuRei, next week it will be something else probably. Thanks for having me!

[peachfruitcake]

well gosh

[me-writes-prompts]

-:"We just got married!" Newlywed Prompts:-

(Tag me if you write these! || requested by: anon(hope you enjoy!) )

By @me-writes-prompts

Their first morning together

^^"Breakfast in bed?" "Oh! you didn't have to do that!" "Of course, I did. I vowed to be the chef in our relationship."

Making each other new playlists

Leaving little love notes around the house for each other before they leave for work

Surprise dates

Going shopping together for the first time after being married

^^"I should've known you married me for my money :(" "Oh shush! I'll pay next time, promise!" They don't.

They decide to adopt a pet to celebrate!

Now that they're married, they can workout together(and make fun of their partner's stamina)

"We need to get a bigger place, don't we?" "Yeah, seems like it." They say when they see how much stuff their partner has.

Rewatching their favorite show together

Decorating their first christmas tree

[yyprompts]

🌙💙🤍

Worldbuilding Checklist (in general)

What is the predominant religion or lack thereof, and why? What other religions are practiced here?

What is the government? Is it a monarchy, dictatorship, etc., and why is it that way?

What are the public holidays? What holidays aren't public but are still widely celebrated?

How is the climate? What unique forms of nature can be found here?

What species of animal are native to here? Do invasive species exist here, and if so, which species?

Which laws are heavily enforced here, if any, and which are less enforced (if not at all)?

What is considered a socially acceptable form of dress here? What do the subjects usually wear?

What traits tend to be valued over others by people here?

What is the dating culture like? How does this impact the people here, and society overall?

What currency is used, and how did it come to be this way?

What is considered socially unacceptable or taboo, and why?

What is the biggest threat to this place? Could this threat ever be taken care of?

What hobbies are very popular amongst people in this world?

Are there any unique proverbs / idioms / sayings used in the language(s) here?

What kind of music is generally enjoyed by the people here?

What is the education like in general? Is it free, accessible, and good for the children? What types of schools/institutes exist here?

[conindiundrum]

I think if you’re having trouble crafting good characters, you probably aren’t giving them people that they knew growing up. Once you get this they kinda just become a person. Characters who helped mold them in some way before the beginning of the story and contribute to their development later. Lone wolfs are fun to think about but it’s simply not ethical for a dynamic character. Yes they can be alone most of the time. Yes they can prefer to work alone. Yes they can have a tragic past where they lost a lot of people. But they need to have someone in the here and now that knows them well. If this feels like a slap to the face I’d urge you to think of any lone wolf characters you love and ask yourself if they’re actually alone. They’re not. There is someone that won’t hesitate to slap them up side the head and bring them back down to earth. They might feel alone. But they’re not. That person might live across the country or on another world, but they still need to have at least one.

For the record, I’m telling you this as someone who has fallen into this trap so many times and even when I wasn’t going for lone wolf-manic-pixie-sideburn-scratchy throat from all the beer-dream-assassin. It’s one of the many things I’ve noticed I’ve been approaching wrong and I hope you don’t fall into it too.

[enlightenedfeline]

Daily prompt #17: ≽^• ˕ • ྀི≼

A workaholic works themselves to death and is given the option of reincarnation, but only as a rich kid who lives off of their parents and does nothing useful with their life.

[adelineiserman]

Your unsolicited reminder that writing becomes much easier when you make it a habit. You can write a sentence as easily as you can send a text message. It takes about 28 days to form a habit. That's just 28 sentences.

So, for the next 28 days I'm going to post a prompt and ask anyone who might be struggling with writing or habit-forming to write a sentence. Just one sentence. Whether you write it here or write it privately doesn't matter. Just write it!

Prompt 1: Write a sentence about the color of someone's eyes.