Oftentimes, writing simple scenes can be one of the best ways to practice showing rather than telling how a character is feeling. For example, take the act of exchanging gifts at Christmas. Writing a scene like this will allow you to gain more insight into your character in a few ways. Firstly, the gifts themselves can reflect both on the character giving and receiving the gift. Does character A know character B well enough to get them a gift they’d actually enjoy? And, if so, what would that gift be? And secondly, writing about the exchanging of gifts in-scene allows you to play with characters’ reactions to show the reader whether or not they are excited about the gift.

For example, let’s say character A gets character B a pair of socks. If they’re the type of person who would like a pair of fun socks, they’ll exclaim excitedly, thank character A, and perhaps try them on right away. If that isn’t the kind of gift they’d enjoy, however, they may speak slowly, use phrases like ‘this is interesting’, and wear a strained smile that doesn’t quite meet your eyes. Whether or not character A even notices the reaction is another telling character moment as well- is character A intuitive enough to notice what the audience can clearly see?

Writing such a scene will also allow you to play around with a family dynamic as well. As a writer, your goal should be to be able to establish the nature of relationships as quickly and concisely as possible. Which family members are closest? Who is friends with whom? Is anyone currently fighting or is there any tension underscoring the current family dynamic? These are all questions that can be answered through a simple gift exchange.

Writing Prompt: Write a scene (either with characters from your manuscript or new ones) where a family or a group of friends are exchanging gifts on Christmas. Use the different beats and moments in the gift exchange to establish the characters as individuals, their relationship dynamics, and to make their reactions clear to the reader by showing rather than telling.

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Stories are all about stakes and the stakes are never more obvious than they are in a horror film. It’s all about what you have to gain and lose throughout a story and in a horror movie what hangs in the balance is obvious: your life. This can make a horror film the perfect setting to explore some of the base aspects of your character’s nature and how they make decisions. Would they value self-preservation over the lives of their friends? Are they intuitive and immediately able to sense the danger they’re in? Or would they be the optimist that attempts to convince themselves the scenario is innocent until it’s far too late? If they’re being chased by ‘the monster’ of the movie, would they attempt the long run home or try to lose him through the shortcut through the woods? Putting your character in a life or death scenario can reveal a lot about who they are, while also allowing you to try your hand at something gory and suspenseful.

Writing Prompt: Take a character from your manuscript and put them in the middle of a horror movie. It could be loosely based on your favorite horror film or you can come up with your own creative scenario. Either way, set the spooky scene. If you want to increase the stakes, have them in the scenario with close friends or family members from your book as well. Then, similarly to a horror film, allow them to be presented with life or death choices? Do they go into the house or hide in the barn? Do we go back for their friend or keep running? Walk them through the beats, see what choices they make, and apply what you learn about them to your manuscript.

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