Thank you for joining us in The Writer’s Playground series!
Here we run through writing games to spark imagination and sharpen your craft.
Today’s Exercise is
The “Why” Interrogation
- Objective: To help a writer deepen their character motivations and plot logic by gently questioning their choices.
- How to Play:
- One writer reads a short scene or a few paragraphs from their work-in-progress.
- The group’s members can then only ask questions that begin with the word “Why?” For example: “Why does the character choose to lie in that moment?” “Why is the scene set during a thunderstorm?” “Why did you use that specific simile?”
- The writer can either answer on the spot or simply take the questions as notes. The goal isn’t to defend the work, but to uncover areas that may need more thought or clearer execution.
- Best for: Strengthening authorial intent, deepening subtext, and clarifying motivation.
Group brainstorming is an excellent way to get a writer thinking about things they haven’t considered. After all, you can’t be expected to think of everything yourself.
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