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Why You Should Participate in Friday Phrases
Last week, I participated in a little thing on Twitter called Friday Phrases.I saw that the hashtag #FP was making the rounds in the writing community, and I wanted to know what the fuss was about. After checking out the Friday Phrases Twitter account, I got my answer:
On Fridays, we Tweet & RT 140-character stories, poems, story prompts, chain stories & other microfiction gems! Join in w/the #FP hashtag! (Not for book promo.)
I dove in right away with a microfiction tweet. Seconds later, my tweet was favorited and retweeted a few times, even by Friday Phrases! I favorited and retweeted some snippets from others, too, and made some great connections.
The best part of this event? Any and all writers are welcome to participate in the fun, regardless of location or genre. All you have to do is compose your tweet, add the #FP hashtag, and fire away!
Each week, there is a different theme for the event, but you don’t necessarily have to follow that theme. You can tweet as many times as you like, but try to space them out so you’re not spamming everyone.
Participating in Friday Phrases is a great way to flex your writing muscles, have fun, and engage with other members of the writing community. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend it.
Check out what’s going on with the hashtag now, and feel free to jump in when you feel inspired.
What do you think about Friday Phrases? What other twitter chats or hashtags have you participated in?
Tweet tweet:
Looking for something to do this Friday? @brianawrites and @FridayPhrases have you covered. (Click to tweet)
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Selections from Pixar’s 22 Rules for Storytelling
Note: This information comes from the following article. I cannot take credit for any of these rules.
When I stumbled on Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling, I realized the company knows exactly what they’re doing. It’s clear to me now why Pixar is the leading contender when it comes to film and animation. Here are a few of my favorite points:
#2: Keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.
#7: Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard. Get yours working up front.
#9: When you’re stuck, make a list of what wouldn’t happen next. More often than not, the material that gets you unstuck appears.
#15: If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.
#19: Coincidences that get characters into trouble are great. Coincidences that get them out of it is cheating.
#22: Putting it on paper allows you to start fixing it. If a perfect idea stays in your head, you’ll never share it with anyone.
These are just a few of the excellent tips Pixar offers about storytelling. Interested? Read them all. You just might learn something.
What do you think? What is your favorite storytelling tip?