Writing Training, strategies & exercises to help us finish Options

[percival]

This thread was inspired by a recent post from Robert on the Settings thread ...

The question is: how can we achieve a mean output of 1500 words per day?

Robert describes an interesting training exercise:
He tried to conoct a fic based on three words randomly picked from a dictionary.

That exercise sounds very difficult, especially when one looks at the words Robert picked

What I've started doing is post 15-minute-fics in my LiveJournal. The idea is simple: you get a word (provided by the LJ community 15minuteficlets), and you have 15 minutes to write. I usually get 100-200 words done.

Or just write flow-of-consciousness like in a notebook for 15 or 30 minutes - don't backtrack, don't edit, just write. That's one of Natalie Goldberg's favourite methods.

What are your ideas?

percival

[bart]

right first off what am I doing?

my first try at writting anything resembling creative since school *mumble* years ago...

he awoke to a knock at the door, looking at the clock he saw it was only 5.00 am, who on earth was knocking on his door at that time in the morning?

groggily pulling back the sheets he rose from his all too comfortable position and feeling for his dressing gown, as he really did not want to do bright lights just yet, the light was going to stay most defiantly turned off. There was the knock again "I'm coming" he croaked followed by a few whispered expletives did he really drink all that much last night?.

unchaining the door, he risked a look through the spy glass, no it was too dark outside to reveal anything, making sure his cricket bat was within easy reach just in case, he slowly unlocked the door....

...just in time to see someone leaving thorough his gate, Jenny he said inquiringly could it really be, what was she doing here? "Dad" she turned round as she spoke "Can we talk"? "I think I've just made the biggest mistake...

and with that time is up, and I managed 177 words and suprised myself