2025 Sixth Workshop Prompts

  • The secret was revealed, but it didn’t make anything better.
  • Outdoors in the middle of the night, barefoot, he/she/they twice crossed the rough ground between the orphanage and the empty house.
  • “Everyone knows,” the elf said, “and they blame you. Don’t feel bad.”
  • I would rather listen to a jackhammer breaking rock than to hear that name again.
  • Snow White said, “Happy endings aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.”

41 Responses on “2025 Sixth Workshop Prompts”

  1. Miss Maddox says:

    Does anyone have tips for describing the MC’s appearance in a first person POV story? I feel like it can be really hard to make it sound natural. Most of the time when I think about my own appearance, I’m thinking about things that change, like my facial expression or outfit, but in a story, the reader also needs to know the character’s general appearance that doesn’t change. How do you bring that up without it sounding weird? And how early should you bring it up? I normally describe my characters close to the beginning, but in first person stories there’s not always a good reason to bring it up immediately. If you wait, though, then your reader is lost trying to imagine them, which isn’t what I want.

    • Christie V Powell says:

      I haven’t tried writing first person myself, so all I can do is brainstorm with you. I feel like there are ways to creatively sneak it in.

      I’ve seen people sneak in hints of appearance while describing other things. (The wind catches my blonde hair as I jog down the road).

      Maybe she would think about her appearance if she’s comparing herself with someone else? (At first, I think that my long-lost sister looks nothing like me. Her hair is red, not auburn, and I don’t have freckles. But when the man who brought her calls her insulting names, I immediately recognize her glare.)

      Or if he’s comparing himself with a younger version of himself? (I haven’t seen her since I was ten. I was chubby back then, with my dark hair cropped short and long eyelashes I hated because they looked girly).

      Or, if it’s something unusual, you could show the reactions of the people around your character. (The old lady is staring in disapproval at the tiger tattoo on my shoulder).

      Maybe she’s shopping and she’s trying to see if the item she wants to buy matches her complexion?

      He’s just been injured and he’s checking the mirror to see how bad the damage is. (Is my hair long enough to hide the scar?)

    • M says:

      Ms. Powell’s suggestions are good, but if you need another one, you could have another character suggest that the main character change their appearance (new haircut, dye hair, put on some makeup/spend more time in the sun so they aren’t so pale, etc.)

  2. Fiona says:

    I was wondering what websites or tools anyone could recommend writing with. I’m currently still planning out my book, but am hoping (more like wishing as planning is taking longer than usual) that I will be ready to write soon, and I’m not sure what is the best place to start writing full manuscript drafts. If there is anyone who very much likes certain sites, or could recommend some that would be greatly appreciated!

    • Christie V Powell says:

      I use google docs for writing my rough drafts because it can be used offline. Once my alpha readers have looked at a chapter and I’ve tweaked it with their suggestions, I move it into Microsoft word for formatting/final edits. There’s a free version of microsoft word connected to my dropbox account, which is where I save most of my writing things.
      Some authors swear by Scriviner, which is specifically made for authors. I know that you write chapters/scenes individually and there are places for notes and outlines and inspiration stuff. It’s somewhat costly, so I’ve never tried it.
      Did that answer the question?

      • Fiona says:

        Yes, thank you so much! I usually use google docs and have never worked with Microsoft word, but I’ll give it a try when I finish the rough draft!

    • Miss Maddox says:

      I also use Google Docs. I think Microsoft Word is the industry standard for publishing. A lot of people love programs like Scrivener, and I’m sure they’re helpful, but I also don’t think they’re necessary. You don’t need anything that complicated to draft, just somewhere to write it all down. More complicated programs might come in helpful for organizing notes if you have a lot of them. Good luck with your writing!

  3. Christie V Powell says:

    Here’s a random question.
    I’m writing a YA fantasy retelling of Aladdin and Cinderella. I gave my main character Marjie a pet snake. (It’s an ordinary snake, not evil and not talking). It’s not important to the plot, just a fun character quirk.
    I am slightly worried that people who are terrified of snakes would stop reading or wouldn’t relate to Marjie anymore because she keeps one. So, would you put down a book if the character had a pet that you can’t relate to?

    • Miss Maddox says:

      This wouldn’t be a problem for me at all. I would find it interesting to read about a different kind of pet. But I’m also not super terrified of any specific animals, so I can’t say how I would react if I had an extreme phobia. I doubt the majority of readers have phobias that extreme, though.

      • Gail Carson Levine says:

        I would not put down the book even if it were a highly venomous viper! IRL, if it was a viper, I probably wouldn’t want to sleep over at Marjie’s house and maybe not even to step inside, but in a book, I’d just be curious.

        Thank you for the book of limericks! They’re great fun, and I think it’s wonderful that you made them into a book. I forgot that I’d seen them before–sorry about that! I’m very happy that we had a chance to meet and for me to thank you in person for all the help you’ve given here. I never thought that would happen.

  4. Karleigh says:

    Okay. I’m writing a middle grade novel, and I have to explain my MCs backstory at the beginning, cause it makes no sense without it. Do you have any tips on writing a backstory in a few paragraphs and how long should the average chapter be?

  5. Thomasdwege says:

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  8. Melody C. says:

    Hi everyone!
    I’m writing a fantasy-adventure story right now, and I was wondering how long the average exposition is for this genre. For my other unfinished stories, I either jump into action too soon or not soon enough. Does anyone have any suggestions for that?

    • Christie V Powell says:

      That’s tricky because different authors handle it differently. The current fashion is to have as little exposition as possible, and instead work it into the story. Here’s a clip from Brandon Sanderson on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5mKLdVQ1weI

      Little choices in vocabulary make a big difference. Descriptions and setting details can be major clues. Here’s an example from one of my books, The Centaur Choice. This is the opening paragraphs:

      No one else would have saved a snake, but Bree had a soft spot for unloved creatures. When a brawl in the courtyard demanded all attention, she slipped down two of the wide estate steps and dropped her handkerchief over the snake. She picked it up and slipped it into a hidden pocket of her flowing red skirts. Hopefully the handkerchief would conceal its scent from the horses crowded into the courtyard. He could hide in her pocket until she found a private moment to let him go.
      All around her, men on horseback trampled paths and lawn alike. Dogs barked. Servant children laughed and threaded through the hunters with abandon. Only a few carried muskets today, and even fewer brought game sacks to carry home wild turkeys or hares. They still made her nervous.

      I didn’t explain that this is a continent loosely based on Mexico in the 1600s, or that it’s low magic, or that centaurs exist in this world (one appears at the end of the chapter). I could have written about how humans have settled this continent fairly recently and that most people live either in big cities or on estates like this one, but I held off and slipped in details as the story goes along instead. I could have written that the centaurs and humans often clash. Humans think that centaurs kidnap young women, and therefore try to exterminate them. Instead of writing that, I have my main character discover it when she enters her father’s trophy room, and gets more details when she argues about it with her brother. Adding a character who is largely ignorant of the way the world works is a good way to naturally work in information.

      Sorry that got kind of long. I hope it was helpful.

  10. Arisole says:

    I am trying to write a retelling of Allerleirauh child appropriate. (Leaving out the father wanting to marry Allerleirauh and possibly the donkey’s slaughter.) But, leaving out the beginning makes it seem like Cinderella. I think young girls will like it if I can figure out how to tell it. I cannot decide if I should leave the scenes out, hint at them, or give up and turn it into a Cinderella story. What do you guys think?

    • Christie Valentine Powell says:

      I think you could make it work. What if, instead of her biological father, he’s a father figure of some kind? A mayor or a school principal or an influential neighbor? A father of a close friend or an employer? Would you be comfortable with a stepfather? The relationship being creepy and uncomfortable is half the point.

      Have you read the retelling by the same name? It’s been on my radar for a while but I haven’t checked it out yet.

      • Arisole says:

        Thank you. A stepfather is a good idea. Then it would be like the beginning of Cinderella but reversed and make a little more sense. Because it is harder to get why a biological father would suddenly get a love interest for a daughter he has seen grow up. And it wouldn’t make young girls wary of their own fathers for a little while.
        I didn’t know that there was a retelling out there. But, I should get major details of mine figured out or it may be too similar to the one already out there. Do you know for what ages the retelling is aimed for?

  11. Melody C. says:

    Hello! My story takes place in the medieval era. Has anyone written a story in this time period? If so, do you change the language to sound like the time period? Or do you just keep it modern with contractions and such? I want it to be realistic, but I also don’t want to make it stuffy and hard to read with “thy” and “thee.”

    • Christie V Powell says:

      I would not recommend changing the language, since the Medieval era is older than Shakespeare! You’d have to be able to write in middle or old English, which is a much bigger change than removing contractions or using thee and thy. If you really want to do the research and try it, you could have one side character speak in accurate language–kind of like Hagrid or Fleur have thick accents in their dialogue in Harry Potter. Or you could have the occasional quote in middle/old English, like some fantasy authors do with their made-up languages (Tolkien and Paolini come to mind). But yeah, I don’t think the average modern reader is up for translating medieval English as they read.

      Have you read Catherine Called Birdy by Katherine Cushman? I feel like it does a good job at being readable while still bringing in a lot of the medieval culture.

  13. Perry says:

    These past few months, I’ve been struggling so so much with writing. I so want to write, and yet there’s just this crippling self doubt that I can’t get read of. Every single word past Chapter One is such a pain to write, and I really do feel so tired each time I get back to the page. I’ve tried taking breaks, but nothing’s really working. Each time I get back to writing this book, it just feels so so crippling. And I really don’t want to move onto another project. I love this story so so much, and I love the characters and this world. I’ve already given up on two projects now, and I don’t want to put down another one. Has anyone gone through this before/does anyone have any tips?

    • Gail Carson Levine says:

      Perry, yours is the question that has come in most often here over the years. There are two reasons: writing is hard, and self-criticism is habitual. I have to fight it, and almost everyone else does too. This book, which helped me a lot, may help you too: Writing on Both Sides of the Brain by Henriette Anne Klauser. The book is about any kind of writing, not just fiction. It has a lot to say about the nasty voice in my mind that tells me that nothing I write is any good.

    • Christie V Powell says:

      I’m kind of weird in that I usually struggle in the beginning and very end, but I love writing middles. If I just hang on and keeping pushing on through the beginning, I eventually get to the fun part.

      I wonder if a NaNoWriMo-style session would work for you. You choose a time and a word count, and then just put down words. No editing, no stopping, just throwing down words on the page. Later you can make it pretty. I end up brainstorming, stream-of-conscious, sometimes talking to myself on paper. It looks like a mess but because I leave instructions for myself, it’s surprisingly easy to fix up later on.

      I opened up one of mine to share as an example, but the first two pages are entirely notes, and then the first chapter is labeled “Now backstory only”. Then there are about six false starts to the real first chapter, accompanied by my own commentary on what I liked about each one and why it didn’t ultimately work. Each chapter starts with a summary of what I hoped would happen in that chapter before I wrote it. It’s an unholy mess, but they get cleaner with each chapter until I finally found a rhythm and reached my goals.

      I don’t know if that method would work for you, but you might give it a try.

  14. Perry says:

    Thank you all for your tips!! By the way, I’m currently in Act One of my book. I’m 6K words into the story, and the main character is going to meet the villain in the next scene (though the villain is disguised as someone else and she won’t know that she’s the villain), and I feel like i’m struggling a lot with introducing the reader to the MC and showing the MC’s motivations. Right now she’s just… living her usual life. She’s dealing with the grief of losing her sister, and her character arc is basically learning to deal with that grief and become the person she needs to be to save her home from this terrible curse. But I’m really struggling with showing what she really wants and waht her motivations are. I’m also pretty worried about the pacing of the Inciting Incident. I just don’t know if, at the moment, I’ve introduced the MC properly and she’s supposed to meet the villain in the next scene, which is basically at the beach and the villain is this strange woman who is standing there. Do y’all have any tips for this? Thank you!

    • Christie V Powell says:

      My top tip is the same as your last question: write it first. Once you have the big ideas in place, it’ll be easier to see what details need fixed. I like to write notes to myself as I write about what I intend to fix later, but keep writing and keep your momentum as much as you can.

      Another thought: do you have a writing group or writing friend? Whenever I have doubts, I write a question about it at the end of each chapter, and then include it when I share the chapter with my early readers. Usually they reassure me that it’s fine and I’m overthinking, but sometimes they agree that I need to tweak something. I feel like even if I didn’t have those helpers, just writing out my concern helps a lot.

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