A humiliating confession

We're all friends here, right?

Hey, Runners!

As we’re getting closer and closer to September 9 and the beginning of the run, I want to encourage you all to try to think in terms of what you can and should do, rather than what you can’t and shouldn’t do.

Let’s avoid restrictive thinking.

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We run from Sept 9—June 13! Subscribe today to be one of the runners and get your novel, or other long-form fiction project, written this year!

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Leaning in to your yes

Look, I’m not ashamed to admit it…

Okay, that’s a lie; I’m a little ashamed to admit it…

…but I dabbled in improv comedy in college. Not much; I had one outing, it went terribly, and I never went back to the group.

The reason it went terribly is because no one told me about yes, and.

In improv, you’re in a scene with one or more other players, and the whole point is that no one knows what’s going to happen. You’re thrown a setting and a situation and then you’re off to the races, and the number one rule is that no matter what your partners in the scene throw out there, you have to run with it.

You must say yes, and then you must add something else to the mix for your partner to run with.

Today’s Comments Assignment:

Have you ever done anything more humiliating than improv? A simple yes or no will suffice; you don’t have to tell the tale.

It’s time for improv

There are times in writing where you have to make cuts and alterations to make a story work.

But first, you must draft the story.

We’re going to be starting on the 9th with Discovery work, and then after that we’ll be going into the Drafting phase of writing your novel; all of this relies on your willingness to say yes, and to the things that come to you, and run with them. You can set your criticism and concern to offline for a few months with regard to your work; it’s time to get your improving magpie energy going, so you can maximize your creativity, and make the process as fun as possible.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait.