First Draft - Writers’ Workshop Step 2

“Master the Muse” - Do-It-Yourself Assignment #2

Ramp up the risk’o’meter and discover change, complexity and contradiction at work for you as you play along at home with the First Draft Writers’ Workshops:

Step 2 - Master the Muse

You’ve decided who your hero is. You see your villain in living color. Now, your hero, your villain and your muse walk into a bar, or perhaps out onto a veranda overlooking the sea in some swanky Bond-style hideout. You decide. It’s your story. Jolt your imagination with the potent scent of exotic swerve and you’ll be off to the races.

Here’s your prompt: both hero and villain are in love with your muse, but they cannot fight for the muse. They must strive to win the muse’s heart in a 15 minute timed free write.

Set a timer. Get a paper and pen. Don’t stop. Don’t look back. Edit, question and debate yourself later. There are no wrong answers. There are no stupid stories. This is only a first draft.

Make sure to rely on your answers from last time for inspiration. Save what you write again. Next week we’ll use it for our third workshop to practice editing and hunting for value in a first draft, as well as how to turn free writing into scene design.

Until then, if falling in love with your muse presents moral dilemmas to your hero or villain, (boys only fall in love with girls, etc), then shift the prompt to the following: the muse is a neutral party who must be convinced to pick a side to join for some very good reason you already know.

Don’t hold back. Don’t think. Don’t plan.

The thing about your Muse is that she (or he) has a lot more up the sleeve than the thinking part of you realizes. Dig in, and see if you are not pleasantly surprised by what you unearth.

Go.