Stephanie Cage - Writer

Could you use a few tricks for getting to know your characters in a deeper way?  If so, join me over at the Book-in-a-Week blog, where this month I'm talking about questions you can ask your characters, from the pretty obvious to the slightly bizarre.  As well as my five favourite questions, I also share a nifty trick for making use of the media.  Read more here:  http://www.book-in-a-week.com/2013/05/5-questions-to-ask-your-characters/ By the way, these tricks aren't just theory: one of them provided a whole new plot strand to my work in progress, 'Desperate Measures' (full marks to anyone who guessed it's a sequel to my first published novella, 'Desperate Bid').   I asked the question, 'What's in the hero's desk drawer?' but instead of answering it directly, I played it out as a scene in which the heroine is sneaking a look at his desk while he's out of the office... and gets caught.  She's initially puzzled by one of the items ...

I'm a big fan of writing prompts to help get things started.  A blank page is far less terrifying if there's something to suggest a direction you might take in filling it.  I have a number of books of writing prompts (of which my current favourite is 'The Writer's Idea Book') but it's always good to find fresh ones, and this is my latest source: http://www.squidoo.com/writeprompts The site contains not only some great prompts (frequently updated) but also some wise thoughts about the use of prompts, such as a reminder not to get too hung up about hunting for the 'right' prompt.  Reading 100 prompts in quick succession won't get the book written, and will mean that when you come to use those prompts in future, they're no longer as fresh and inspiring as if you were seeing them for the first time.  You have been warned!