A blank EtchASketch makes it pretty clear that I’ll be doodling around in squares because the drawing dot only moves in four directions, each at right angles to the other.
The now defunct National Novel Writing Month was about throwing off the limits that keep us from creating.
The NaNoWriMo site no longer exists, but you can sign up for Novel November. Or build your own challenge with some writer friends.Â
Find the whole series:
- Clear the Decks!
- Collect ingredients
- Â Find the core of your story.
- Sort your story bits and pieces into a winning shape
- Thrive with Story Soup!
(If you’ve just finished 50K, congratulations!! Well done!! May I respectfully suggest you do this and save yourself ten years of re-writing?)
But it’s not the only option. You can also choose a form that’s so restrictive it gives you something to push against. The most powerful stories I know are about people overcoming their own “limitations.”
What if you had to choose only one thing to make? What would it be? What if you were only allowed to give one gift?