This writing exercise is one I’ve been using and sharing for a very long time. It works whether you’ve been writing for decades or just started yesterday. You can choose how deep to take this, whether you just stop after a brief character sketch or flesh it out to a full piece. It’s also infinitely repeatable: the more you do it, the more it’ll influence your other writing and train you into good craft habits. I’ll start with the writing exercise, give an example, and then include a brief description on how and why it’s helpful.
The Exercise
Use a random word generator to generate a concrete noun, or choose a nearby object that’s interesting to you. With that object in mind, create a 200-ish word character sketch of a new character, tying every aspect of that character to the object, from their name to the way they look and talk to what they like and what they want.
Then, with that same object still in mind, put that character into a short story. Lean on that object and the character you fleshed out for plot and conflict, setting details, metaphors and descriptions. Go harder than you think you should on the connected details; you can always pull back in editing.
For example, if “shark” is your object, you could have a character named Finn, who always dresses in sharp gray suits and smiles a little wider than people think he should. He’s hungrily ambitious and always moving—up the corporate ladder, through social circles, from job to job, bar to bar. He never lets people get too close. In his story, he’s chasing a promotion at the sake of his relationship. The narrator describes him as circling the office, smelling blood in the water, gliding through situations. The office itself is painted in shades of blue and the AC is always a little too cold. The windows distort the sunlight like water. Etc.
The Purpose
A lot of newer writers choose details in a story solely because they’re a vibe—the details have nothing to do with the plot or characters or themes, they just seemed cool. Or worse, a writer thought they needed to flesh out a scene or character but didn’t know or care how, so we get a mishmash of things they saw on Pinterest or read in other books.
This exercise is meant to strengthen consistency in writing and illustrate that details—even miniscule, seemingly inconsequential ones—that relate back to your characters, conflicts, themes, motifs, etc. are going to lend a lot more depth and meaning to a story than ones chosen at random. When every detail ties back to one idea, a character and story are given a holistic feel that allows your story to delve deeper and create connected meanings that feel like they matter instead of just spreading wider and staying surface level. The further you stretch that one idea, even to the point of ridiculousness, the more you’re able to train your brain to forge connections in fiction instead of just stacking disconnected details like you’re playing vibey Jenga.
Once you have a full piece written from this exercise, let it sit for a few days, then come back with fresh eyes. Or give it to a friend to read. Which details and sentences create depth and meaning? Which feel a little too forced? What can you add or cut or replace to make the piece feel more real without losing any of the depth and connection?
Play with it. Try it with different objects. Try in different genres. Get weird with it. Notice the themes that are created and how the different details you choose strengthen or weaken those themes. But most of all, have fun with it, and remember that writing exercises and writing “rules” exist to help your story more effectively do what you want it to do, not just to cramp your style.
Happy writing!
Kristen Sommers 