The Storyteller’s Path Through Emberbrook

Let us explore one of Emberbrook’s innermost realms…

One of the recurring comments my writing receives comes in the form of a question that never fails to hit me like a kick in the dick:

“When are you writing a novel?”

(Or something to that effect.)

‘Twas the first thing one of my early writing mentors, Misty, said to me back in 2018 as I entered the Zoom room for our first call. She’d been looking over the MASSthetics blog, and even then, raw and undeveloped, novel-ability glimmered.

Despite the encouragement, I’ve always shied away from really trying.

I’d love to do so though. I’ve gone so far as creating a character, Ava, drafting a brief story around her, and collecting story fodder from the world for ages.

However, what I’ve done instead is distill the spirit of my writing into a process I fondly call The Magic of Wordcraft, complete with kooky, unforgettable prompts carefully designed to help you practice the building blocks of captivating writing.

The kookiness of these prompts is by design, as they make practicing playful, which shifts you into a positive, optimistic, and receptive mindset—perfect for learning.

Here, I’ll show you what I mean.

A prompt for improving your ability to write vividly through physical detail:

Prompt: You slept on the couch for too long and slipped through the cracks, falling into a world run by Big Fabric. Like it or not, you’re now tasked with designing yourself into a couch.

Upholstery, pattern, footing, cushions, height, length, you name it. Look at your own couch if you need a real-life example of all the components. Consider what sort of couch you’d like to become, and then write that vision into existence. 

Bonus points if you explore creating personality and developing voice.

Perspective: First (“I”)

Length: 300-500 words

Go write a few hundred words about becoming a couch then try to forget everything associated with the experience, including the skill you’ll gain. (Good luck!)

Which is a big part of what makes The Magic of Wordcraft special (in my totally objective opinion). The information is light, and practice gets a whole lotta love. 

You won’t be force-fed facts with the expectation you’ll retain everything.

Instead, you’ll be guided through a practicum designed to infuse your writing with new skills while you explore, invent, and experiment. The theory simply brings awareness to whichever writing element is the learning focus.

So, there are 8 modules with just 3-5 minutes of theory to read. 

Each module then has two writing prompts for you to complete, immediately putting what you’ve learned into practice—which is how you improve quickly.

You can also share your work with me for feedback (another key to improving quickly.)

Okay, enough jibber-jabber.

The Magic of Wordcraft is an Emberbrook cornerstone, freshly iterated for the occasion.

If you're a dreamer or rogue, founder or creator, your path begins here:

→ Slither through this portal to The Magic of Wordcraft

With love from the forest,

~ Alexander