Week 2: Giving Your Story Direction
Writing Journey | SJR Writes & Reads
October 8–14, 2026
Welcome to Week 2 of Let's Write a Book in Two Months!
Last week, we focused on building the foundation of our stories. We created characters, explored their backgrounds, and started figuring out how everyone connects. Now it's time to give those characters something to do! This week, we're looking at motivations, obstacles, conflict, setting, world-building, and the bigger ideas behind our stories.
We're also adding something important to our daily routine. We're writing our manuscripts!
Our target is 600 words a day. You can try two 30-minute writing sessions, one longer session, or break your writing time into smaller blocks. If all you can manage is 15–20 minutes, that's still progress.
The goal is to make writing a regular part of our lives, not another thing to feel guilty about. And if you're joining us for the first time, welcome! You can start with Week 1 or jump into the current challenge and catch up whenever you're ready.
Let's get started!
Day 8 — What Does Your Protagonist Want?
We know who our protagonist is. Now we need to know what they're trying to accomplish. A character's goal gives the story direction. They might want to find someone, solve a mystery, escape a dangerous situation, fall in love, win a competition, or protect their family. Sometimes what they want isn't necessarily what they need.
Today's Tasks:
Identify your protagonist's main goal.
Explain why that goal matters to them.
Decide what they're willing to do to achieve it.
Think about what might happen if they fail.
Questions to Answer:
What does my protagonist want?
Why do they want it?
What are they afraid will happen if they fail?
What might they have to sacrifice?
Example:
Maya wants to discover what happened to her missing sister and stop the new disappearances. But underneath that goal, she also wants to prove that she wasn't wrong to question everyone who told her to forget the past.
Writing Assignment: Write 600 words of your manuscript. Try a scene that shows your protagonist wanting something or taking the first step toward a goal.
Day 9 — What's Standing in Their Way?
Now that we know what our protagonist wants, we need to make achieving that goal difficult. Without obstacles, there isn't much of a story. Obstacles can be physical, emotional, social, or supernatural.
Today's Tasks:
Identify three obstacles your protagonist might face.
Choose one obstacle that directly connects to the main conflict.
Decide how the obstacle makes their goal harder.
Consider how your protagonist might respond.
Questions to Answer:
What prevents my character from getting what they want?
What happens when their first plan fails?
Who or what makes the situation worse?
How might the obstacle force them to change?
Example:
Maya needs access to the town's historical records, but the mayor has restricted them. Elijah could help her, but he's reluctant to get involved. And Maya's fear of trusting people makes asking for help even harder.
Writing Assignment: Write 600 words. Give your protagonist a problem they can't solve immediately.
Day 10 — What Does Your Antagonist Want?
Your antagonist needs motivation too. Even if they're cruel, selfish, or dangerous, they should have a reason for what they're doing. Sometimes the antagonist believes they're the hero of their own story.
Today's Tasks:
Identify the antagonist's main goal.
Explain why they believe that goal matters.
Decide what they're willing to sacrifice.
Show how their goal conflicts with the protagonist's.
Questions to Answer:
What does my antagonist want?
Why do they believe they're right?
What are they afraid of losing?
How far will they go to succeed?
Example:
The mayor wants to maintain the agreement protecting the town from an ancient creature. He believes a few sacrifices are better than allowing the entire community to be destroyed. Maya wants to stop the disappearances. The mayor believes stopping them will unleash something worse.
Writing Assignment: Write 600 words. Consider writing a scene that reveals the opposition, even if your protagonist doesn't understand it yet.
Day 11 — Where Does Your Story Take Place?
Setting is more than a background. The places your characters live, work, travel, and explore can affect their decisions and the problems they face. Today, we're developing the world around our characters.
Today's Tasks:
Identify your primary setting.
Describe the atmosphere.
List three important locations.
Consider how the setting affects the story.
Questions to Answer:
Where does my story take place?
What does the location look, sound, and smell like?
What makes this place different?
How does the setting influence the characters?
Example:
Maya's story takes place in a small mountain town surrounded by dense forests. The town is beautiful during the day, but residents avoid the woods after sunset. Important locations include the library, the old church, the mayor's house, and an abandoned railway tunnel.
Writing Assignment: Write 600 words. Introduce a location through your character's experience rather than simply listing descriptions.
Day 12 — What Are the Rules of Your World?
Every story world has rules. In fantasy, that might mean magic systems, supernatural abilities, or mythical creatures. In romance, mystery, or contemporary fiction, the rules might involve social expectations, institutions, family obligations, or professional boundaries.
The important thing is consistency.
Today's Tasks:
Identify three important rules of your story world.
Decide who enforces them.
Consider what happens when someone breaks a rule.
Determine whether any rules are hidden from your protagonist.
Questions to Answer:
What can and can't happen in this world?
Who holds power?
What are the consequences of breaking the rules?
Are there exceptions?
Example:
In Maya's town, supernatural creatures cannot enter a home without an invitation. The ancient creature can only cross certain boundaries during a new moon. The mayor's family is responsible for maintaining the agreement. But one of those rules may be based on a lie.
Writing Assignment: Write 600 words. Show a character encountering, following, or breaking one of your world's rules.
Day 13 — What's the Theme of Your Story?
Theme is the bigger idea running through your book. It's what your story explores beneath the plot. Some common themes include love, grief, identity, freedom, family, betrayal, forgiveness, survival, and belonging. You don't need to explain your theme directly to the reader. It can emerge through the choices your characters make.
Today's Tasks:
Identify one or two possible themes.
Consider how they connect to your protagonist.
Decide how the antagonist challenges those ideas.
Think about what your character might learn.
Questions to Answer:
What is my story really exploring?
What beliefs will my protagonist question?
How do the character relationships reflect the theme?
What might change by the end?
Example:
Maya's story explores trust, family secrets, and the consequences of protecting people through lies. Maya believes the truth will solve everything. But as she investigates, she discovers that telling the truth can also put people in danger.
Writing Assignment: Write 600 words. Let a character make a choice that connects to one of your themes.
Day 14 — Story Check!
We've spent two weeks developing our stories. Today, we're reviewing what we have and checking whether our ideas connect. This isn't about criticizing every sentence we've written. It's about making sure we're giving our stories enough direction to keep moving.
Today's Tasks:
Review your story premise.
Check your protagonist's main goal.
Review your antagonist and obstacles.
Look over your setting and world rules.
Identify any unanswered planning questions.
Decide what you want to write next.
Questions to Answer:
Does my protagonist have a clear goal?
Is there enough conflict?
Do my characters have reasons for their choices?
Does my setting support the story?
What scene am I most excited to write next?
Example:
Maya wants to solve her sister's disappearance, but the mayor is protecting an ancient agreement. The town's supernatural rules make investigating dangerous. Her closest friend knows more than he's admitting, and Maya's inability to trust others may prevent her from discovering the truth. Now we have a protagonist, a goal, an opposing force, a setting, and a growing conflict.
Writing Assignment: Write another 600 words. Continue your manuscript rather than spending the entire day revising your plans.
Week 2 Recap — We're Writing!
WEEK 2 COMPLETE! 🎉
This week, we've explored what our characters want, what's standing in their way, and the world they live in.
We've also started working on our manuscripts!
What We Covered
Day 8: Protagonist's goal
Day 9: Obstacles
Day 10: Antagonist's goal
Day 11: Setting
Day 12: World rules
Day 13: Theme
Day 14: Story check
Let's Talk About Our Word Count!
Our daily writing goal is 600 words. If you reached that goal every day this week, that's:
600 words × 7 days = 4,200 words!
That's 4,200 words of your story that didn't exist before. And if you wrote less?
That's okay too! Maybe you managed 300 words a day. Maybe you wrote one scene. Maybe you only had time for a few short writing sessions.
Those words still count. The important thing is that you're making progress.
Week 2 Checklist
I know what my protagonist wants.
I've identified the main obstacles.
I understand my antagonist's motivation.
I've developed my setting.
I've established important world rules.
I've explored my story's themes.
I've reviewed my story direction.
I've started writing my manuscript.
Don't Forget to Celebrate!
Writing a book takes time, patience, and a lot of effort. So celebrate the progress you've made! Take a break, enjoy your favorite snack, watch a movie, buy yourself a new notebook, or do something that makes you happy.
You earned it!
Coming Up in Week 3
We're going to keep building our stories and working toward our daily writing goals. Remember, planning is helpful, but we also need to get those words onto the page. You don't have to write a perfect first draft. You just have to keep writing.
How many words did you write this week? What was your biggest challenge, and how are you rewarding yourself for your progress?
Until the next chapter,
Happy Writing,
S. J. Robinson
