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Writing dare: Your protagonist uncovers a huge secret

Your protagonist uncovers a shocking secret of conspiracy theory levels of scope, scale, and bizarreness.

Writing dare: One of the central characters turns out to be a Russian spy

We dare you to reveal that one of your characters is in fact a spy working for the Russians.

#NaNoWriMo padding: Postcards to granny

Pad your word count by having a character stop in every new location to buy a postcard, buy stamps, and post the postcard. String this out for as…

IRL writing dare: Skip meals all day to write about hunger more realistically

Skips two or three meals so that you are really hungry. Use that hunger to more accurately depict one of your characters being hungry.

Writing dare: The fate of the world will now be decided by coffee

For reasons that only you can tell us about, the fate of the world no hinges on coffee. Is coffee going to save the world, damn the world,…

Writing dare: Include all of these in a chapter

We dare you to try and fit everything here into one chapter.

#NaNoWriMo padding: Have characters debate a fandom divide

Have your characters get into a heated debate over a fandom divide. Have it blow up into a massive argument. Then you can draw out the cooling down…

IRL writing dare: Write in a dimly lit room

Write at least 350 words in a dimly lit room. Bonus points if you wear sunglasses the curtains are closed there are underpants on your head you are…

Writing dare: How many objects can you fit in one scene?

Here is a pretty random collection of items. How many of these items can you squeeze into a single scene? Bonus points for making them all plot relevant…

Writing dare: Some of your characters are only imaginary

It turns out that some of your characters are figments of another character’s imagination.

#NaNoWriMo padding: The car breaks down

Bring your characters to a grinding halt with car troubles. Take us through what the characters do to solve this issue. Who do they call? Can they fix…

IRL writing dare: Live-stream your writing session

We dare you to live-stream your next writing session or sprint.

Writing dare: Your character tells a needless but complicated lie

For reasons they might not even understand themselves, your character lies about something. The lie is every bit as complicated as the truth – more so even. Now…

Writing dare: Ice cream denial

Have a character crave some ice cream. Have them go out of their way to try and get some ice cream and yet plot, fate, and chance mean…

#NaNoWriMo padding: Expressing a crush theory

Have one character tell another that a third character has a crush on them. Have them explain in great detail why they think they are right. Allow the…

IRL writing dare: Let your Twitter followers add some crazy

Post a tweet asking your followers to shout out crazy ideas for you to include in your story. Click to Tweet

Writing dare: Introduce a majestic elephant into your story

Introduce a majestic elephant into your story. How will your plot change now? What does the elephant’s presence say about your protagonist? Bonus points if there is a…

Writing dare: Include a wicked witch to make trouble

Add a wicked witch to your story not as the main antagonist but as a persistent and annoying troublemaker who complicates things regularly to troll the protagonists.

#NaNoWriMo padding: Why are we doing this?

In the lead-up to your characters trying to get whatever it is they want, have them talk about why they are doing what they are doing. Have them…

IRL writing dare: Cosplay at a café

We dare you to dress in your favourite cosplay outfit and then go to a café to write your 1.667 words.

Writing Dare: Add a comedy writer using your characters as their subject

Introduce a new character who slowly gets closer to the main characters before it becomes clear to them that the writer is writing a comedy with your characters…

Writing dare: Waiting for cabbo

Start a chapter with at least two characters calling a taxi/cab. Follow the conversation and activities they engage in trying to pass the time. Every time they call…

#NaNoWriMo padding: That one childhood toy

Have a character explain in great detail to another character why they value a childhood toy so much. Have them derail the plot slightly by going back to…

IRL writing dares: Dictate a scene while doing jumping jacks

Today, try to dictate your scene while doing vigorous exercise. For example, jumping jacks.