Draft & Structure
Write a Scene Where the Reader Knows What One Character Does Not
Create dramatic irony with an invented envelope scene, giving the reader one fact while keeping a character’s actions believable.
A place to follow a sentence
Draft & Structure
Practical ways to find the thread of a draft, arrange its parts and help a reader follow along.
Draft & Structure
Writing in Second Person Without Ordering the Reader Around
Try a second-person scene in three voices and learn how concrete action can keep “you” from becoming a collection of commands or assumed feelings.
Draft & Structure
Write a Scene Using Only What the Visitor Can Reach
A room becomes more particular when a character cannot access everything in it. For this original writing exercise, describe a visit through the objects…
Draft & Structure
Give a Fictional Object One Ordinary Use Before Asking It to Carry Meaning
A cracked cup can become heavy with meaning before anyone has taken a drink from it. Giving an object a practical role first helps its later significance…
Draft & Structure
Write the Instructions from the Point Where a Beginner Gets Stuck
An experienced writer may begin instructions with the first action they consider important. A beginner may already be stuck before that action becomes possible.
Draft & Structure
Write a Scene with a Deadline Nobody Mentions Aloud
A deadline can shape a scene without appearing as a countdown or a spoken warning. Someone checks a cooling kettle, keeps a coat on or answers while…
Draft & Structure
A Paragraph Can Move from Public Fact to Private Thought Without Losing the Reader
A character sees rain on a window and remembers a conversation. The transition may feel natural to the writer, who knows the connection, while the reader…
Draft & Structure
Write the Scene Twice, Changing Only Who Arrives First
Two characters meet in a kitchen. One version begins with somebody already waiting; another begins with that person arriving second. The dialogue can remain…