New Year Prompts

Begin your writing year with these prompts about characters

In each of these exercises, the tone is up to you.

1. Janine is a 55-year old very successful actress who is extremely tired of being a doormat when it comes to her family. She's had an unbelievably bad Christmas, with entitled adult children, grumpy aging parents, critical siblings and a very morose ex-husband all taking advantage of her good nature and inviting themselves yet again to her holiday home by the sea to 'celebrate'.

   She's just waved the last of these ungrateful guests goodbye and is sitting on the beach with a flask of hot chocolate.

   She is relieved, exhausted, emotional and determined that next Christmas will be different.

   In one paragraph, capture Janine's mood and her resolve to be stronger. What would she rather have done for Christmas? Does she have a partner? A secret lover? A desire to be alone? Does she dream of going away for Christmas?

   3rd person.

2. Nigel is Janine's ex-husband. It's only a week into January and his resolutions to be a better version of himself have already fallen by the wayside. Convinced what he needs to get back on track is a few more days in Janine's house, ideally with her back in the city at work, he calls her and invites himself to stay.

   Focus entirely on Nigel in this exercise. In one paragraph reveal his personality (morose, needy, selfish) as he leaves a voice mail on Janine's mobile. As well as writing what he says in this message, include some internal dialogue.

   3rd person.

3. Alice has recently moved next door to Janine's holiday home and has been trying to bump into Janine for months now. She's a super fan of Janine's and has watched everything she's been in. This January, her resolution is to befriend Janine. It's not a lot to ask for a selfie or be invited round for coffee and yet whenever she sees Janine, Janine seems to be in too much of a hurry to say more than a few words.

   Focus on revealing Alice's character (shallow, entitled, unaware of personal boundaries) as she walks across the sand towards Janine.

   1st person.

4. On her way home from Janine's house, her mother, Rosamund, recounts to her husband, Paul, why she feels Janine is extremely lucky to have had them all round for Christmas. Rosamund is convinced Janine is without talent, friends and interests and she cannot understand how Rosamund is so popular ('always on the TV') when her other daughters have much more 'natural talent'.

   Focus on Rosamond's dialogue as Paul drives. Rosamund is judgmental, unkind, silly and not particularly intelligent.

1st person.