2 MONTH NOVEL
Challenge
Weekly Emails
from your mentor Hannah Long
from your mentor Hannah Long
Welcome
Welcome
This is the second ever STORYTELLERS novel challenge!!! My name is Heidi Olson, and I work as the director here at Storytellers. Which basically means I get to write cool emails, talk to people, and work on stories! And I am jumping for joy to welcome you to this novel challenge!
Okay, I’ll set aside exclamation points for a couple sentences and actually explain why I’m writing to you:
Okay, I’ll set aside exclamation points for a couple sentences and actually explain why I’m writing to you:
- Run through quick recap of details
- Explain the emails
- Introduce Hannah
1. Recap
So let’s run through a quick recap of the challenge details just so we’re all on the same page. The goal of this challenge is to create, write, and edit an original literary story and submit it to us by: Jun 30 at 11:59 PM EST.
HELP
At any point in the month, if you have questions or tech trouble or just need help understanding something better, you can reach out to me or Christopher Stewart.
Heidi Olson
Phone: (423) 402-0235
Email: heidi_olson@sctreehouse.com
Christopher Stewart
Phone: (423) 715-4694
Email: christopher_stewart@sctreehouse.com
(Heads up, your tech questions are probably better directed to Christopher…)
GOAL
Your original literary story can be a novel, fiction, non-fiction, short story collection, children's book, or any type of story that is told in a literary form. There cannot be any sex, nudity, or taking the Lord’s name in vain in your finished performance since the foremost goal of Storytellers is to glorify God. Your final edited book, author information, and/or artwork must be submitted along with a manuscript of your book by June 30 at 11:59 PM EST. That way, if you win, others can read your creation, too!
Any questions on that? Visit https://storytellers.sctreehouse.com/two-month-novel.html to read through the FAQ’s or contact one of us.
HELP
At any point in the month, if you have questions or tech trouble or just need help understanding something better, you can reach out to me or Christopher Stewart.
Heidi Olson
Phone: (423) 402-0235
Email: heidi_olson@sctreehouse.com
Christopher Stewart
Phone: (423) 715-4694
Email: christopher_stewart@sctreehouse.com
(Heads up, your tech questions are probably better directed to Christopher…)
GOAL
Your original literary story can be a novel, fiction, non-fiction, short story collection, children's book, or any type of story that is told in a literary form. There cannot be any sex, nudity, or taking the Lord’s name in vain in your finished performance since the foremost goal of Storytellers is to glorify God. Your final edited book, author information, and/or artwork must be submitted along with a manuscript of your book by June 30 at 11:59 PM EST. That way, if you win, others can read your creation, too!
Any questions on that? Visit https://storytellers.sctreehouse.com/two-month-novel.html to read through the FAQ’s or contact one of us.
2. Emails
On to the emails! Our goal in this challenge is not only to provide an opportunity for you to create something amazing (although, that’s definitely part of the goal). The other side of the goal is equip and train you so that as you create, you learn. And as you learn, you create with even more excellence.
So, every week, in May and June, you will receive an email. In these emails Hannah will be sharing not only the lessons she has learned through personal experience in writing but also the lessons others have shared with her. I encourage you to read them because:
That being said, if there is particular topics you would like some insight on, please contact us at the email address above and let us know! We want to cover ground that is helpful to you.
Keep in mind that emails are not meant to be your exact outline of how the challenge should go. The goal in writing to you is to offer insight that can help you along the way, but you are the leader of your challenge.
So, every week, in May and June, you will receive an email. In these emails Hannah will be sharing not only the lessons she has learned through personal experience in writing but also the lessons others have shared with her. I encourage you to read them because:
- I hope they’re actually helpful to your storytelling journey.
- You can give us feedback on what was helpful and what wasn’t so that next year, this challenge gets even better.
That being said, if there is particular topics you would like some insight on, please contact us at the email address above and let us know! We want to cover ground that is helpful to you.
Keep in mind that emails are not meant to be your exact outline of how the challenge should go. The goal in writing to you is to offer insight that can help you along the way, but you are the leader of your challenge.
3. Introduction
Now, I should probably let Hannah introduce herself now so that you actually know who this Hannah Long person is.
Hello everyone,
I am Hannah. I grew up in a family of three boys and two girls (of which I am the oldest).
A normal evening in my house was painted with the scene of five excited young imaginations pulling at the sleeves of our poor father begging him to read "just one more chapter" of whatever book we found ourselves in the middle of exploring.
These times helped to birth a love for books in my heart.
From the age of 12 I have been putting ink to the page. Building story after story. Saving damsel after damsel. Slaying dragon after dragon. And helping character after character find true love.
Most of my writings have never seen the light of day, but many have. That is just a part of the process. Writing is learning about the hearts and souls of humans. As with any discovery, sometimes you unearth a gem (worthy of sharing) other times all the work gives is rocks and roots.
Over the coming months I hope you enjoy the process of writing your stories. Each day will bring a new obstacle to overcome. But, that is what gives us joy in finishing.
Hello everyone,
I am Hannah. I grew up in a family of three boys and two girls (of which I am the oldest).
A normal evening in my house was painted with the scene of five excited young imaginations pulling at the sleeves of our poor father begging him to read "just one more chapter" of whatever book we found ourselves in the middle of exploring.
These times helped to birth a love for books in my heart.
From the age of 12 I have been putting ink to the page. Building story after story. Saving damsel after damsel. Slaying dragon after dragon. And helping character after character find true love.
Most of my writings have never seen the light of day, but many have. That is just a part of the process. Writing is learning about the hearts and souls of humans. As with any discovery, sometimes you unearth a gem (worthy of sharing) other times all the work gives is rocks and roots.
Over the coming months I hope you enjoy the process of writing your stories. Each day will bring a new obstacle to overcome. But, that is what gives us joy in finishing.
What’s your story? We are excited to meet and walk with you on this journey! Go ahead and introduce yourself in the comments below, get to know the other people in this challenge, and get ready for the adventure. It’s time to tell a story!
Day 1 - 7
Day 1 - 7 | Generating Ideas
Today, we're going to focus on generating ideas for fictional characters.
Elements of a story
There are three elements that a story needs: a character, a setting, and a conflict.A piece of writing is not a story unless something happens in it. If nothing happens, the piece might be a description or an article or a philosophical discourse, but not a story.
In a story, something has to happen. It happens to someone (a *character*), and it happens somewhere (*a setting*).
A *conflict* -- or problem -- is what makes something happen. We'll talk more about conflict, and why it's necessary, later.
How story ideas are born
Authors generally start with one of three elements (character, setting, or conflict) and use the one chosen to come up with the other two. There's no right or wrong order to this process.
An idea for a conflict (for example, high school bullying), can lead both to character ideas (Who's the bully? What motivates him? Who are the victims? How will they respond?) and also to setting ideas (What kind of school do these characters attend? Where is this school located? Is it a rough public school, a snooty private one?).
An idea for a setting (for example, a Mississippi cotton plantation just before the Civil War) can lead to conflict ideas (slaves forcibly separated from their children), and character ideas (a pregnant slave willing to risk her life to keep her unborn child).
Or an idea for a character (for example, a woman who is obsessed with neatness) can lead to conflict ideas (In what situation would the character's obsession with neatness become a problem? In what situation would she face a mess she couldn't control?), and setting ideas (the woman's ultra-organized apartment with its elaborate systems of cabinets, compartments, and labeled containers).
Next, let's start coming up with some character ideas that you'll use to get ideas for conflict and setting.
5 ways to get character ideas
How do you get ideas for characters? Here are five different ways. EACH ONE of these is a gold mine.
Method # 1: People-watch
Observe people who pass you on the street; go to a mall or a café and watch the people around you. Look at how they dress and present themselves, their facial expressions, their gestures, how they move, how they interact with each other. Try to imagine their lives.
Watch people in line at the supermarket -- listen to their conversations, pay attention to what they're buying. Do they live by themselves or with children? Do they have pets? Do they cook a lot, or do they keep precooked food in their freezers? Are they planning a party? Or, are they possibly drinking too much alone?
Every one of these people can become a fictional character in your stories.
Method # 2: Get ideas from the newspaper
Newspapers are a rich source of character ideas.
When you read about ordinary people in extraordinary situations, try to imagine the people behind the headlines. What might have caused a particular woman to shoot her husband? What kind of person might she be, and what might her husband have been like?
The people you imagine are likely to be very different from the real people involved in the news item. That's fine. They're fictional characters that you have invented. Now you can use them however you like in your stories.
Wedding announcements and obituaries are another great place to look for character ideas. Use your imagination to fill in the blank space around the information the newspaper reports.
Method # 3: Get ideas from names
A name triggers a complex set of associations, based on its sound and the way it looks on a page, based also on the people we have known or heard of with that name or similar names.
Take a moment to picture a woman named Gertrude, a woman named Donna, a woman named Veronique. What images do these names bring to mind? I imagine three very different women.
The name Gertrude makes me think of a sixty-year-old woman with graying chin-length hair pushed back behind her ears. She wears no makeup and has deep lines along the sides of her mouth. She is tall and lean -- she takes long walks every day, and she has a swift, determined stride as if she's always on her way to solve an urgent problem.
Your Gertrude is probably completely different from mine. That's great.
Whenever you need character ideas, write down three names. Choose the names at random from a phone book or another directory, or just write down the first three names that occur to you.
Try to picture a person with each of the names you've chosen. Take notes on what you imagine. You've just come up with the seeds of three characters!
Method # 4: Mix and match
Often, writers base characters on real people they know. That sometimes works well, but in other cases, it can be limiting. It can be hard to stop thinking of the real person and imagine the character separately.
Here's a different method to try: create a character that mixes aspects of several people you know.
For example, you might invent a character who is partly based on your father, partly based on one of your high school teachers, and partly based on your boss at work. Or, you might base a character on your father, but make that character a woman. You could base the character's physical appearance on a waitress you saw at a restaurant.
The result of each combination will be a character who shares similarities with all of these people but, at the same time, is different from all of them, unique.
Method # 5: Turn characters into more characters
Each character you create can be the seed of more character ideas.
Who is in your character's family? What are your character's parents like? Who is your character's best friend? Who is your character's enemy? What kind of person gets on your character's nerves? What kind of person attracts your character romantically or feels attracted by your character?
Brainstorm on questions like these, then develop the answers into new characters.
There are three elements that a story needs: a character, a setting, and a conflict.A piece of writing is not a story unless something happens in it. If nothing happens, the piece might be a description or an article or a philosophical discourse, but not a story.
In a story, something has to happen. It happens to someone (a *character*), and it happens somewhere (*a setting*).
A *conflict* -- or problem -- is what makes something happen. We'll talk more about conflict, and why it's necessary, later.
How story ideas are born
Authors generally start with one of three elements (character, setting, or conflict) and use the one chosen to come up with the other two. There's no right or wrong order to this process.
An idea for a conflict (for example, high school bullying), can lead both to character ideas (Who's the bully? What motivates him? Who are the victims? How will they respond?) and also to setting ideas (What kind of school do these characters attend? Where is this school located? Is it a rough public school, a snooty private one?).
An idea for a setting (for example, a Mississippi cotton plantation just before the Civil War) can lead to conflict ideas (slaves forcibly separated from their children), and character ideas (a pregnant slave willing to risk her life to keep her unborn child).
Or an idea for a character (for example, a woman who is obsessed with neatness) can lead to conflict ideas (In what situation would the character's obsession with neatness become a problem? In what situation would she face a mess she couldn't control?), and setting ideas (the woman's ultra-organized apartment with its elaborate systems of cabinets, compartments, and labeled containers).
Next, let's start coming up with some character ideas that you'll use to get ideas for conflict and setting.
5 ways to get character ideas
How do you get ideas for characters? Here are five different ways. EACH ONE of these is a gold mine.
Method # 1: People-watch
Observe people who pass you on the street; go to a mall or a café and watch the people around you. Look at how they dress and present themselves, their facial expressions, their gestures, how they move, how they interact with each other. Try to imagine their lives.
Watch people in line at the supermarket -- listen to their conversations, pay attention to what they're buying. Do they live by themselves or with children? Do they have pets? Do they cook a lot, or do they keep precooked food in their freezers? Are they planning a party? Or, are they possibly drinking too much alone?
Every one of these people can become a fictional character in your stories.
Method # 2: Get ideas from the newspaper
Newspapers are a rich source of character ideas.
When you read about ordinary people in extraordinary situations, try to imagine the people behind the headlines. What might have caused a particular woman to shoot her husband? What kind of person might she be, and what might her husband have been like?
The people you imagine are likely to be very different from the real people involved in the news item. That's fine. They're fictional characters that you have invented. Now you can use them however you like in your stories.
Wedding announcements and obituaries are another great place to look for character ideas. Use your imagination to fill in the blank space around the information the newspaper reports.
Method # 3: Get ideas from names
A name triggers a complex set of associations, based on its sound and the way it looks on a page, based also on the people we have known or heard of with that name or similar names.
Take a moment to picture a woman named Gertrude, a woman named Donna, a woman named Veronique. What images do these names bring to mind? I imagine three very different women.
The name Gertrude makes me think of a sixty-year-old woman with graying chin-length hair pushed back behind her ears. She wears no makeup and has deep lines along the sides of her mouth. She is tall and lean -- she takes long walks every day, and she has a swift, determined stride as if she's always on her way to solve an urgent problem.
Your Gertrude is probably completely different from mine. That's great.
Whenever you need character ideas, write down three names. Choose the names at random from a phone book or another directory, or just write down the first three names that occur to you.
Try to picture a person with each of the names you've chosen. Take notes on what you imagine. You've just come up with the seeds of three characters!
Method # 4: Mix and match
Often, writers base characters on real people they know. That sometimes works well, but in other cases, it can be limiting. It can be hard to stop thinking of the real person and imagine the character separately.
Here's a different method to try: create a character that mixes aspects of several people you know.
For example, you might invent a character who is partly based on your father, partly based on one of your high school teachers, and partly based on your boss at work. Or, you might base a character on your father, but make that character a woman. You could base the character's physical appearance on a waitress you saw at a restaurant.
The result of each combination will be a character who shares similarities with all of these people but, at the same time, is different from all of them, unique.
Method # 5: Turn characters into more characters
Each character you create can be the seed of more character ideas.
Who is in your character's family? What are your character's parents like? Who is your character's best friend? Who is your character's enemy? What kind of person gets on your character's nerves? What kind of person attracts your character romantically or feels attracted by your character?
Brainstorm on questions like these, then develop the answers into new characters.
Application
Try at least *two* of the five methods we've discussed to get character ideas. Come up with ideas for at least *three* characters.
Day 8 -14
Day 8 - 14 | Build Your Characters
How to develop a character?
Once you have an idea for a character, you can start developing the character by imagining more aspects of this person and his or her life.
Here's a questionnaire that you can use to create character profiles. Feel free to change any of the questions or add new ones:
Your answers to these questions can also become an endless source of story ideas. I will show you how that works in the next email.
Here's a questionnaire that you can use to create character profiles. Feel free to change any of the questions or add new ones:
- - What's the character's occupation?
- - What's the character's family like?
- - Is the character in a relationship? What's his or her partner like?
- - What is the character's home like? His or her neighborhood?
- - Does your character have hobbies? What does he or she enjoy doing?
- - What are your character's greatest strengths?
- - What are his or her greatest weaknesses?
- - What is his/her deepest desire?
- - What is his/her greatest fear?
- - What is something this character desperately wants to change about himself or herself?
- - What is something this character doesn't know about himself or herself?
Your answers to these questions can also become an endless source of story ideas. I will show you how that works in the next email.
Application
Use the Character Questionnaire to write character profiles for all of your characters.
Talk Back
ask questions and learn more
ask questions and learn more
