#CRPLyreBirds

WIP title: Your Undead Name! #CRPLyrebirds

Day 2: generating short story ideas from characters There are as many different ways to approach story generation as there are writers. Some of them are less effective on short stories, because we have to pack a lot of character and story into a small amount of space and time. In order to keep readers engaged, we need them to care about our MC, but we don’t have a lot of time to tease out backstory and such. But that’s what’s awesome about a short story, because when we pull it off, it’s impressive. So I’m going to outline a very step-by-step approach. Let’s start with just the MC. Describe the character you want to explore. Focus on superficial descriptions and contrast for now, rather than backstory or plot, like: - What do they look like, how do they talk, dress, behave, etc.? - What is one weird trait or idiosyncrasy they have, - How can I tie that trait or idiosyncrasy to the thing most important to them? - Can I exaggerate it? How? - What can I do to make them more likeable to the reader? And finally: - What is the one thing most important to that character?

Good evening #CRPLyrebirds! Let's get our cabin story prompts underway. These are, of course, optional; participate if you can, don't feel pressured if you can't. And remember that I'm not just your camp counselor, I'm a writer too, so I'll post my attempt below.

I'm currently editing and planning revisions. Building an outline for Draft 2. No 'figure it out later' abyss-openings allowed. Character Arcs - sketched. Emotional Journeys - mapped. Timeline - being scheduled.

I can't wait to finalize the outline and start rewriting.
#CRPLyrebirds

Hi #crplyrebirds! I’m querying one project, but after some 10queries feedback, I’m editing it again. I also have a brand new project that I recently started drafting.

As for making progress…it’s a busy time at work (I work in a school) so anything (no matter how small) is progress!

Short stories are also such a great way to work on your craft, develop your process, find beta readers you vibe with, and explore story ideas that won't support a full novel 😊
#CRPLyrebirds #CampRevPit

a man sitting at a table says i 'm the furthest in yellow letters Alt: Parks & Rec: Ben Wyatt is sitting at home at his table. He is unshaven, unshowered, has bed head and is in an old tee-shirt. He is showing off a strange doll he's made. He says "I'm the furthest thing from depressed. I mean, look what I've accomplished. Do you seehim? Do you think a depressed person could make this? No!" It is obvious he is not well.

Something I'm really proud of is how much writing, editing and revision planning I've managed to get done while struggling with chronic pain and then recovering from surgery and trying to rebuild my focus and stamina💜 (along with ADHD and life life-ing 🔥)
#CampRevPit #CRPLyreBirds

#CampMap #CampRevPit #CRPLyreBirds

I'm in the middle of the woods after having gotten lost, rebuilding my hiking route. The sun is rising and it's almost time to pack up my tent and get moving again.

Hi #crplyrebirds I’m currently querying a story where the terraforming has failed and the lone survivors are trying to stay alive in a hospital long enough for rescue. At the same time my wip is a SF novel looking at how far loyalty will go and I’m trying to work in space whales.

A little late in the day, my day job is :) going through it (read: on fire). I wish I was writing instead.

For my WIP I made a playable game! Basically alien chess. It's not complex, but it IS playable. My husband made me a prototype. I needed rules to use for themes and metaphors!! #CRPLyrebirds

#CRPLyrebirds Right now I'm querying my SF R book, but also poking at it with edits as I get some feedback from betas. Simultaneously I'm working on outlining and drafting the second book. I have everything! Subplots, themes, characters, worldbuilding, etc. Except the main plot. This is fine. 😆

#CRPLyrebirds here are the award categories:
Embers of Excellence, a daily prize to showcase what makes our Cabins so special!
Starlight Stories, sharing the behind-the-scenes tales about our Cabins!

A bird hopping in snow says, "Hey you! Pay attention!" The bird hops, then says, "Did you see that?"

#CRPLyrebirds how goes your day, your writing?
Could you help me with something?
I need to nominate someone for an award.
So tell me something awesome about yourself, your writing, and/or your WIP!

#CRPLyrebirds I'm currently querying one while drafting another! (Which also means I'm fighting the impulse to completely rewrite the querying book, while trying to focus on the next)

#CRPLyrebirds cabin prompt for 4/21/26 DAY 2 – WHERE ARE YOU? A lot of us are using metaphors and drawings to map where we are in our WIPs. For today’s cabin prompt, let’s get specific: What writing stage are you at in your current project — brainstorming, drafting, revising, querying? Optional bonus: What does "making progress" look like for you right now?

#CRPLyrebirds It's day 2 - let's start talking about our WIP! Where are you at with yours?

#camprevpit #crplyrebirds

For my new project, I am lost in a major city, my phone is dead, and I only have the vague directions I memorized. My querying project, I thought I reached the end of the hike, saw the beautiful mountain vista then realized I still need to hike back…

Hi #CampRevPit #CampKickoff #CRPLyrebirds folks, bit late to today's prompt 😅I'm revising the YA Science Fantasy that I entered into this year's RevPit. The cool detail from my world is that I'm trying to combine a South Asian setting with a rustic / futuristic vibe.

Many authors, once past the milestone of a first novel, focus exclusively on long-form writing — to the detriment of their résumés. Selling a short story is far easier than selling a novel, and a few published shorts signal to readers and industry professionals that a writer has both skill and experience. Think of it the way filmmakers think of short films: not money-makers, but door-openers. Starting tomorrow, I'll be posting story development prompts alongside the daily cabin prompts. They're general enough to apply to any length or format, but I'll focus on short-form content you can pitch to magazines, anthologies, and similar markets. Toward the end of camp, we'll move into pitching and querying. If this interests you but you don't have the bandwidth right now, save the prompts and come back to them later — they'll keep.

#CRPLyrebirds Having recent short story sales in my bio is helping me get my long form material read and considered more. So I'm going to be doing an extra (optional) prompt this year. If you have any questions or topics about short stories that you'd like me to cover, comment below or DM me!

Hi #crplyrebirds! I write upmarket speculative fiction with a dark dystopian bent. My FMC is gifted some pebbles for her pockets by a young boy she befriends. She carries them with her the rest of the story.

Image of a tractor with a strange device on one end. A cow strapped to said device. It looks like the device is being used to rotate the cow along its Y-axis like a centrifuge. Caption reads, "Just got a new cow rotator, hmu if you got a cow that needs rotating."

#CRPLyrebirds, what would you call this thing, how would you use it in a story, and what would the genre be?

#CRPLyrebirds, are any of you interested in participating in sprints? If so, Chloe at #CRPNightOwls is hosting one this evening between 8 and 10 EST!

Hi #CRPLyrebirds!! I write hopeful sci-fi, most often with romance because I just can't help it 🤭 My favorite detail about my world is my weirdo aliens! They have iridescent hair with pigments that absorb sunlight and their alcohol is citric acid, so you can image the scandal of a lemon to them LOL

Hellooooooo! #CRPLyrebirds #CampKickoff
👋 My name is Karin and I live in Indiana.
✏️ The novel I'm #amquerying is a romantic historical mystery inspired by the infamous 1947 Roswell Incident. 🛸
🚀 My WIP is a romantic mystery aboard a space hotel.
🤗 Let's be friends!

Hi #CampRevPit #CampKickoff #CRPLyrebirds ! I'm a teacher of writing, and am working on a picaresque road-trip novel about a healer who flees the cult he was raised, only to fall in with a UFO enthusiast who's caught a meteorite in his hand. As they head to a UFO festival, the cult pursues them...

#CampRevPit #CRPLyrebirds

Hi, #CRPLyreBirds at #camprevpit! I like my speculative with a lot of horror in it. My current WIP takes a lot of inspiration from Control/Alan Wake, if that gives a bit of flavor. My favorite writing beverage is coffee, at home I'm never far from espresso. I'm excited to be here!

Hi #CRPLyrebirds ! I'm not sure exactly what subgenre my book is considered but it's a kinda near-future cli-fi with robots and cassette futurism vibes. One of my fave weird worldbuilding details is a scientist character dedicating her life to making replicas of birds that have gone extinct. 🦜

👋 #crplyrebirds! Excited to meet everyone! I write soft sci-fi and fantasy. I’m querying a YA sci-fi and one detail I love is how one of the cities is underground, inside a vast cavern-like space where the ground above has large openings where daylight can pour through

Hi, #crplyrebirds at #camprevpit! I write in the crossover between speculative fiction and literary horror. I'm trying for the kind of writing that lingers and haunts long after reading. One cool detail about Earth 2 is that heavy meteor showers caused its residents to evolve stone-like skin.

Hi #CampRevPit #CampKickoff #CRPLyrebirds ! I'm Tiff, and I write/teach/illustrate/make weird media art and experimental films. The book I entered this with is a weird queer sci-fi about a burned-out audiovisual archivist that's currently in the query trenches. Nice to meet you all! 👽

Hi, fellow SF writers. I come from a STEM background and have been writing a far future SF Thrillers. This is my first RP Camp and I hope to learn a lot from all of you
#CRPLyrebirds #CampRevPit