Three weeks ago I started a daily challenge. Every morning, I give myself ten minutes to write a snippet of a random, nonexistent story. Sometimes I will go a bit longer if I want to complete the thought. The goal is to teach myself to write faster. I'm a slow writer; I tend to wear the editor's hat too tight. The speed writes force me to move on even if a sentence isn't perfect. I can always come back to it later. Choosing the topic often takes longer than writing it, but I'm sure I will get better at that too.
The challenge has been helping in more ways than I expected, though. It's a great warm-up on days when I am going to be doing a lot of writing, and it's nice to still write something on days when other work or errands prevent a significant time commitment. Moreover, the speed writes are a nice break from my main projects. There is no pressure to produce something good, and I can explore completely different genres.
As a bonus, I am building up a collection of story snippets that I can expand into flash fiction pieces, short stories, or novellas as needed. Some of the characters could even have full novels written about them, but I have more than enough novel ideas as it is.
Below are two of my latest speed writes. I hope they inspire you to write something yourself!
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Backstage, everyone was chatting and adjusting their customs. Alban shuffled to a stool hidden among the props. He wanted to join in the conversation, but he didn’t know how. He would just be an awkward nuisance if he walked up to the others. Instead, he hunched over his script, looking over his lines one last time.
The director pointed to him, and he scuttled forward. He would be the first character the audience met, the antagonist. He rolled his shoulders back, puffed up his chest, and took long strides onto the stage. Alban was gone, and Lord Banisher had arrived.
~
Freezy waited for Toby and his siblings to head inside, and then his smile got a little bigger. He looked around. Snow covered the ground, but there weren’t yet huge banks or piles. There was just enough to make a snowman. Freezy knew what that meant. He would probably melt on the next hot day. Nonetheless, he could always trust Toby to form him again for Christmas.
How long until Christmas anyway? That was the all-important question. Freezy had to find the answer but not yet. He had to be patient. The sun set slowly, coloring the sky in fiery oranges and reds. Terrifying! Thankfully, the peace of darkness quickly followed. Sliding and skating, Freezy took off for the local church. The digital sign always displayed the date and time. He would be back in his spot well before sunrise.
