Author: Muse Inspired
A muse is a terrible thing to waste. Come inspire your muse with story prompts, affirmation, fantastic works of art, and happy healthy things. Feeding your muse once a day makes for a good life!
There is a gold coin at the end of a rainbow. What’s the story?
What are five songs that would be on your character’s music playlist?
A fan wins a contest to meet their favorite idol. What happens?
If your character was taken to the hospital, whose number would be at the top of their emergency contact list?
You never know when you might have an accident – and that is no different for our characters. Who would be the top of the list for your character? Would it be a parent? Their spouse? Children? Perhaps it’s someone unexpected. They may not even have someone that can be contacted at all. Who they have on their list can give great insight to their relationships with the people in their lives.There is a djinn in apartment number twelve. Nothing is normal when a genie is next door.
If you’re not sure what a “djinn” is, that is one of the alternate names for a Genie. When you hear the word genie, most people will probably think about Disney’s Aladdin. Which is pretty cool – you can’t go wrong with Robin Williams! The classic djinn tropes often include magic lamps and the granting of wishes, along with the warning that you should never trust a genie. They are prominent in Arabic and Islamic mythology and according to the wikipedia page on Jinn they are one of the three “sapient beings of God” along with humans and angels. I thought that was a very neat and very muse enticing tidbit.Eyes – Everyone has them, describe them in detail for your character.
The eyes are the window to the soul. We hear this all the time. For this exercise, describe them in as much detail as possible. Here are some things to consider!The Shape
Almond, round, squinty, upturned, hooded, monolid, downturned, etc. Fonfabulous has a GREAT shape guide.The Spacing
Wide set, close set, deep set, tilted, parallel, and so on. They may be really close together, or far apart. Consider that everyone has a perfectly symmetrical face, perhaps this is a unique character trait.The Color
Blue, green, hazel, brown, gold with flecks, or even unrealistic shades. Playing with color and descriptive details is a fun way to add a little flair. Are their hazel orbs more green with a little ring of brown, or do they have ocean blue pools?The Mood
What sort of emotion would some see if they stared in to those eyes? With just the right words, you can convey all kinds of things. The sadness hidden beneath a sunny gaze, or the cold dead emotionless stare of a serial killer.The Makeup
There’s a whole world of possibilities here. Makeup is a wide and varied art form in many cultures. This Tumblr search can give you loads of inspiration.Other Details
Tattoos? Shape and thickness of the brows? Long lashes, normal, or heaven forbid – none at all! Maybe they are missing one or both. Perhaps they are made of glass. Laser beams could shoot out every time they take off their sunglasses.For added fun you can see what shape might mean for personality with this cool link. Obsidian Bookshelf also has a really great guide for describing them in your writing. Now Novel contains excellent advice on the subject, while Words to Use provides you with a big list of descriptive words!