February 8th -- "Milepost" 8

Another tip from my last PB marathon:

After each writing session I quickly evaluated the story and jotted down what seemed to work or not work.  This routine helped quiet my inner critic (if she’d caught up to me somehow).  It kept my perfectionism in check, because instead of fussing over a problem I made a note, moved on, and stayed energized.   And later these notes were invaluable when I revisited the story after the marathon.  

Here’re some examples of my comments:

“Is character annoyingly sweet?  Tone it down.”

“Poodle or Golden Retriever?”

“Needs one more scene before resolution.”

“Ending works.”

“Jazz it up!  A tad boring.”

“Logical step missing.  Revisit sequencing.”

“Is this just a one-line joke or a full story?"

Hopefully this tip will help lighten your step!

BTW—one marathoner may transform his marathon into a triathlon.  Whoa!  He blogged about it on Day 7 here:   http://www.timmccanna.com/

Story Starters

Food from a kid's perspective:

 

polite dinner at a formal restaurant

surprise breakfast for mom

juicy peach

sprinkles on a cupcake

slippery, buttery corn-on-the-cob

soggy cereal

disastrously torched or perfectly roasted marshmallow

Happy writing (or snacking!)