Six Fun Writing Exercises to Help You Spot Your Plot
- Look for clues in your setting. Chekhov famously wrote, “One must never place a loaded rifle on the stage if it isn’t going to go off.”
- Find your character’s passions. Have you ever known someone with no interests? ...
- Consider the neighborhood. ...
- Investigate the routine that gets interrupted. ...
- Ratchet up conflict. ...
- Remember that everyone has a secret. ...
- Let your stream of consciousness run. Start with a blank page. ...
- Switch up a story's POV. ...
- Use creative writing prompts. ...
- Write a letter to your younger self. ...
- Write flash fiction. ...
- Write a fake advertisement. ...
- Borrow someone else's story and make it your own. ...
- Try blogging.
What are some fun creative writing exercises?
Try these ideas as daily writing exercises:
- Write a story with the same plot, but with two or more perspectives. For example, you could write a lover’s quarrel from two different view points.
- Write from the point-of-view of a famous historical figure.
- Write a story or poem from the perspective of an object: a statue, a doll, a roomba, etc.
- Write from the perspective of a person you dislike.
What are good writing exercises?
Writing Practice Worksheets Terms of Use
- Finish the Story Writing Worksheets. In these writing practice worksheets, students practice both reading and writing in these exercises.
- Question Response Writing Worksheets. ...
- Practical Writing Worksheets. ...
- Argumentative Writing Worksheets. ...
- Writing Worksheets. ...
- Using Precise Language. ...
How do I become a better writer?
The EXACT 10 Steps You Need to Learn How to Become a Writer
- Become a Better Reader. All of the best writers I know are also voracious readers. ...
- Write Everyday. As with anything in life, practice makes perfect. ...
- Start a Blog. ...
- Read “Everybody Writes” by Ann Handley. ...
- Enroll in an Online Writing Course. ...
- Find a Place to Get Real Critiques. ...
- Start Journaling. ...
- Practice Becoming More Conversational. ...
- “Write Drunk, Edit Sober”. ...
How to have more fun writing?
What would writing look like if it were fun?
- Appreciate Bad Writing. Each morning I sit down and write. ...
- Notice Things. “A writer is someone who pays attention to the world — a writer is a professional observer.” Most people don’t notice things.
- Write Something Meaningful to You. ...
- Write Every Day. ...
- Research. ...
- Don’t Worry About Being Original. ...
- Tell Your Own Stories. ...
- Become Part of the Community. ...
How do you make a writing activity fun?
Top 10 Fun Writing Activities For KidsFinish the story. Make writing fun with some fiction prompts! ... Create paintings with your names. Children often find it fun to paint. ... Do grocery shopping together. ... Creating new words. ... Write a book. ... Learn the alphabet. ... Write a poem. ... Find a match.More items...
What are some writing activities?
Here are several writing activities that my students have really enjoyed.Journaling for Beginners. For this activity, you'll need to provide a journal. ... Cards & Letters. ... Fill in the Story. ... Drawing Words. ... Birthday Messages. ... Cut Out My Name. ... Chalkboard Writing. ... Write A Choose Your Own Adventure.More items...
What are fun writing topics?
20 Fun Writing Prompts Write about a song and a feeling it invoked in you. Recall an important memory from your childhood and tell it from the perspective of someone else who was present. Write about an item you have that isn't expensive but means a lot to you. What color do you feel like today and why?More items...•
What exercises are used in teaching writing?
These exercises may ease their entry into shaping their ideas for an assignment:Clarify all questions about the assignment. ... Write a letter describing what the paper is going to be about. ... Write a full draft. ... Turn your ideas into a five-minute speech. ... Make a sketch of the paper. ... Make an outline.More items...
What is a quick write activity?
A Quick-write Activity is a timed writing experience (usually 5-10 minutes), where a participant/student is asked to respond to a piece of text (literary or expository) in writing. The notion is for students to write as much as they can during the timed period.
How do I teach my child to write fun?
Here are 5 fun and creative ways to help toddlers learn how to write:Letter Race. A letter race can be played with several players. ... Letter Cookies. To make this activity a little more fun, you can buy alphabet cookie cutters and have your child bake letters. ... Letter Fill. ... Letter Matching.
What are 3 writing prompts?
Opinion Essay Writing PromptsBe a Friend. What does it mean to be a good friend?Growing Up or Down. Would you rather be older than you are right now or younger? ... Hello? Some kids in 3rd grade have cell phones. ... Best Pets. Which animal makes the best pet? ... Tattletale. ... School Favorites. ... Off Limits. ... Summer School.More items...•
What should I write down when bored?
35 Things to Write When Bored Writing PromptsWrite about a movie you just saw. ... Think about somewhere you'd like to travel to and write a story about it.Write about the first thing you see when you look out your window.Try to remember your earliest childhood memory. ... Remember a time you felt really embarrassed.More items...•
What is creative writing example?
An example of creative writing, a novella is essentially the love child of a short story and a novel. Although the novella does feature a plot, the plot is typically less complicated compared to that of a novel. Usually novellas are about 50 pages.
What are the six basic rules of writing practice?
The Six Basic Rules of Writing PracticeKeep Your Hand Moving. Don't take your fingers from your keyboard or put down your pen because you want to check email, attend to chore or get something. ... Don't Cross Out. ... Don't Worry about Spelling, Punctuation or Grammar. ... Lose Control. ... Don't Think. ... Go for the Jugular.
How can a 9 year old improve their handwriting?
Improve Handwriting: Tips To Help Older KidsStrengthen fine motor skills.Try a pencil grip.Strengthen the upper body.Try italic cursive.Understand basic cursive rules.Frequent breaks.Pick your battles.Figure a work-around.More items...
Why We Need Creative Writing Exercises Like This
I’ve worked with hundreds of writers in the last five years, and I’ve found that the biggest killer of creativity is perfectionism. (Share that on...
Where Does Perfectionism Come from?
Perfectionism begins with pride. “I’m so talented how could I not write the next great book? Bestseller? More like best book of the century.” (Full...
This Writing Exercise Brings The Joy Back to Writing—Here’S How
How do you play with writing?Two words: modernist poetry.*Pioneered by poets like Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot, modernist poetry often makes very litt...
5 Steps to This Writing Exercise
I’ve broken it up into five steps so simple a two-year-old could follow them: 1. First, get out a blank page. Feel free to open a new document on y...
Embarrassing Examples of My Own Attempts at This Exercise
To give you a sense of how your poems might look, and to hopefully give you much room to improve upon, here are two of my worst attempts at this ex...
Why This Creative Writing Exercise Is Genius
When you finish—after ten lines or a hundred— read your poem out loud. You’ll probably be surprised at how good it is!That’s why this exercise is s...
Discover Online Classes in Writing
Training your mind and body to respond faster and in more effective ways is an essential part of building any skill, whether that’s bodybuilding or publishing a novel. When it comes to writing, flexing your creative muscles is an important part of honing your craft and finding new ways to get everything in your head down on paper.
What Are Writing Exercises?
Whether you’re a new or experienced writer, you might never have heard of writing exercises before. So what are they? They’re short bursts of improvisational writing, where you don’t plan anything in advance and note down what is on your mind.
Writing Exercises to Try
Now that you have a better idea of what writing exercises are and how they might work to improve your skills, let’s dive deeper into some exercises that are specific to different writing forms.
Pencils at the Ready!
There are hundreds of possible writing exercises out there for you to try. We hope that these ideas will give you some inspiration the next time you want to start a new writing project.
How to write a scene in a group of 5?
For groups of 5 or less, write down numbers starting with 1 and going up until everyone has a number, then give them out in order. For groups of 6 or more, divide groups into 3's, 4's or 5's. Each person has to write a scene where the protagonist is alone and is only allowed to say a single word, e.g. "Banana".
How long does it take to write a prompt?
There are no right or wrong suggestions and the intention is to focus on big concepts, not little details. This whole exercise takes around 15 minutes. Writing prompts to use as prompts. Exercise for groups of 3-5. If you're in larger group, split up into groups of 3 or 4 people.
What is solo exercise?
The solo exercises are ideal if you’re working by yourself to help stimulate your mind before working on a larger project or to overcome writer’s block, or can be used with a larger group, where you simply ask everyone to share what they’ve written in groups of 3 or 4 people afterwards.
The group writing exercises
The first prompt was a prompt for a contest to win a place on our Group Coaching writing course.
Contest prompt
Every year, I’d made a resolution not to ever __ again. Yet by January 20th I’d already __ and __.
Writing exercises featuring scene-setting
On leaving As soon as I turned 18, I left__. It was a town of__and__ .
Group writing exercises featuring conflict
Lovers’ quarrel We thought it would be a romantic getaway to Rome. Then__. By the end of the day, hot and fed up, we__.
Writing exercises using dialogue
Secrets and lies “I never__,” he said. Yet I knew he was lying because__.
Writing exercises using simile and metaphor
Wild reactions His face was as __ as a__ after the bug bite and we were all a bit worried.
Writing exercises using different POVs
Fugitive I had run all night, adrenaline keeping fatigue at bay. When I saw__ as dawn broke, I knew__.
What is freewriting exercise?
Freewrite off of the first word of today’s newspaper. Among daily writing exercises, freewriting is one of the best writing exercises. Poets can use freewritten material as inspiration for their poetry. Prose writers can also find inspiration for future stories from the depths of their consciousnesses.
How can I improve my creative writing skills?
Of course, the best way to improve your creative writing skills is simply to write every day. Keeping a daily journal is a great way to exercise your writing mind. By sitting down with your personal observations and writing without an agenda or audience, a daily writing practice remains one of the best writing exercises , regardless of your genre or level of expertise.
How to write a metaphor list?
A metaphor list is simple. On a notebook, create two columns. In one column, write down only concrete nouns. Things like a pillow, a tree, a cat, a cloud, and anything that can be perceived with one of the five senses. In the other list, write down only abstract ideas.
How can I write better if I can't seem to write?
How can you write better if you can’t seem to write at all? One of the best poetry exercises, as well as writing exercises in general, is to start your day by freewriting. Freewriting, also known as “stream of consciousness writing,” involves writing your thoughts down the moment they come.
Why is it important to write with limitations?
Among exercises to improve writing skills, writing with limitations has the clearest benefits. This practice challenges your brain to think about language productively. Additionally, these limitations force you to use unconventional language – which, in turn, makes you write with lucidity, avidity, and invention.
Why is figurative language important in writing?
Any free creative writing exercise that focuses on figurative language can aid your writing immensely, as it helps writers add insight and emotionality to their work. This is an especially great creative writing exercise for beginners as they learn the elements of style and language.
What advice do writers give to writers?
The conventional advice given to writers is to “write what you know.” We couldn’t disagree with that statement more. The best creative works force both the writer and the reader to consider new perspectives and learn something new; writing from a new point-of-view makes for a great exercise in expanding your creative limits.
Why is writing considered a solitary pursuit?
The Purpose: Writing is often thought of as a solitary pursuit, and for this reason alone it can be seen as a particularly unattractive activity by many of our more gregarious students. This fun activity not only exercises students’ understanding of writing structures, but engages them in some fun, creative collaboration too.
What are some examples of language they collect?
Examples of language they collect may range from the Keep Out sign on private property to the destination on the front of a local bus.
Is writing easy in 8th grade?
No doubt about it - writing isn’t easy. It is no wonder that many of our students could be described as ‘reluctant writers’ at best. It has been estimated by the National Association of Educational Progress that only about 27% of 8th and 12th Grade students are able to write proficiently.
What is creative writing?
Creative writing exercises are short writing activities (normally around 10 minutes) designed to get you writing. The goal of these exercises is to give you the motivation to put words onto a blank paper. These words don’t need to be logical or meaningful, neither do they need to be grammatically correct or spelt correctly.
How to get random words?
Open a book or dictionary on a random page. Pick a random word. You can close your eyes and slowly move your finger across the page. Now, write a paragraph with this random word in it. You can even use an online dictionary to get random words: Create your own alphabet picture book or list.
How to motivate yourself to write?
Set yourself at least three writing goals. This could be a good way to motivate yourself to write every day. For example, one goal might be to write at least 150 words a day. Create a character description based on the one fact, three fiction rule. Think about one fact or truth about yourself.
How many words are in a flash fiction?
Flash fiction is normally around 500 words long, so try to stay within this limit. Write a six-word story about something that happened to you today or yesterday. A six-word story is basically an entire story told in just six words.
What is a writing exercise?
Writing exercises are designed to help kick-start your thinking. Whether you are a grant writer, or if you are writing fiction or non-fiction, you will find that stimulating your brain is half the battle. This is followed up with editing and formatting, which are two aspects that can also be practiced with a writing exercise.
What are some exercises to help you write?
The 10 Best Writing Exercises That are Borderline Genius. Steph Fraser. Updated on August 20th, 2020. Writing is difficult. It is a skill that you can exercise, just as if you were working a muscle in your body. Exercise makes you stronger, and this can be said of writing exercises. Writing exercises are designed to help kick-start your thinking. ...
How does Squibler help you write a book?
If you want to learn how to write a book, Squibler can help. It even takes things a step further and helps you write your book fast. This doesn't mean the quality is compromised. It simply means that Squibler gets you so organized and motivated that you are able to complete your book in record time.
How to get creative when you are not writing?
Do something creative that is not writing related, you may find that this creativity can help to spur on an idea. Do a writing exercise that has no real meaning. It can be something that just gets you to write. Take some time to do something physical, as this can release some of the stress that you may be feeling.
Why is writing exercise important?
In addition, this writing exercise has been shown to help you think like your readers - as real people with emotions rather than a generic form. The idea behind this exercise is to help your writing become something that moves people emotionally.
How to stimulate your mind?
Writing Exercises to Stimulate your Mind. There are all kinds of writing exercises that will help you flex those writing muscles. You can practice your strengths or work on a weakness you know you have. There are specific writing exercises that will help you in these areas.