Lesson Aim: 

Identify obstacles to your writing and develop daily habits to overcome them.

Comprehension Check:

List the four obstacles that keep writers from writing. Then circle the one that you think is your biggest obstacle right now.

1. 

2.

3.

4.

Writing Exercise: 

Choose one prompt below that matches the obstacle you circled above. Write a minimum of 50 words.

• FEAR: What is one thing your main character is afraid of? It can be a small and silly thing, or it can be a big and dark thing. Why are they afraid of it? How do they respond when faced with it?  
• INSPIRATION: What inspires your main character? What or who makes them feel brave, strong, or smart? Maybe it is something they do, something they eat, or something they wear… or maybe it is someone they know - this could be a good sidekick character!
• TIMING: What does a typical day look like for the characters in your world? What kind of meals and tasks do they do normally, when nothing special or weird is happening? 
• PREPARATION: What is one goal that you have for your main character – something for them to do or become by the end of the story? What is one thing you can give them to do to help them prepare to achieve that thing?    

OPTIONAL – Writing Your Story: 

You have a story inside you, waiting to be told. Smash through your obstacles and start telling it! Today it doesn’t have to be publisher-ready; it doesn’t even need to be coherent for the benefit of others. It just needs to start taking some shape. Brainstorm on paper. Write down the bones of your story. Give a summary of the whole thing as you know it right now. Then ask yourself some questions to tease out more details: Who are the main characters? How are they related or connected? Where and when is it set? Write a minimum of 50 words. Then share your notes with a trusted friend and invite them to ask you three more questions about the story.