Small Observations
Use an Unsent Message to Discover What a Character Cannot Ask Directly
A character can want something clearly and still struggle to phrase the request. An unsent message gives you a compact way to explore that gap without…
A place to follow a sentence
Small Observations
Look a little closer at ordinary places, objects and moments, then give those observations a place on the page.
Small Observations
Write a Scene in Which the Important Object Is Never Named
For a short fiction exercise, choose an ordinary object and keep its name out of the scene. Let the reader discover it through what people do around it.
Small Observations
Use an Inventory to Discover What Your Fictional Room Is Missing
You have described a fictional room in detail, yet the scene still feels empty. Instead of adding more furnishings, make a private inventory of what the…
Small Observations
Write a Scene as an Instruction Manual, Then Let the Instructions Fail
“Place the cup on the table” sounds straightforward until the table has been removed. Writing a scene as instructions can expose the habits a character…
Small Observations
Describe the Same Object Through Two Different Concerns
Use one ordinary object to practise selective description: what changes when two fictional people need different things from the same scene?
Small Observations
Let a Setting Enter Through What Someone Is Doing
Introduce a fictional place through movement, obstacles and useful objects, then add description where it helps the reader understand the action.
Small Observations
One Sensory Detail Is Often a Better Starting Point Than Five
Build a descriptive paragraph around one useful sensory detail, then add only what changes the scene rather than completing a mechanical five-senses checklist.
Small Observations
A writer’s notebook begins with something small
You do not need a remarkable day to fill a writer’s notebook. Begin with a detail, a question and a little room to imagine.