Writing Exercises for Practice and Play
Use a timer for these exercises. Give yourself 10-15 minutes for each. Knowing there’s an end point gives you freedom.
Write for 10 minutes on “strange things my neighbors do.”
-- Begin a timed writing with “By the end of the journey, I was…..”
-- Write about something that happened to you last week, from the point of view of someone elsewho was present. Write in the first person.
-- Describe in minute detail about the first 10 minutes of your typical day.
-- Describe in minute detail about the last 10 minutes of your typical day.
-- Number a page from one to ten. Set your timer for 3 minutes. Quickly list 5 - 10 images that stuck in your mind from yesterday. Just write a few words to capture the image. Like this:
1. the windows frosted in swirls
2. the dog food scattered on the porch
3. Lentil soup in the old Pyrex dish
4. wet leaves in gutter
5. dog hair all over my husband's black pants in the van
Now set the timer for 10 minutes. Write about number 3, in detail—what you saw and heard. Don't try to be fancy. Same rules: keep your pen moving, write slowly, in simple, clear sentences. (This is a great exercise to do everyday, whenever you get a chance.) This sharpens your observation skills.
-- Describe your grandmother.
Now describe yourself from your grandmother’s point of view (your grandmother writing in the first person).
-- If you have a pet, describe a piece of furniture (its’ bed, the dog door, the couch) from the pet’s point of view (the pet writing in the first person)
-- If you enjoy cooking, describe in detail 10 minutes of preparing a recent meal.
-- Imagine that you are now famous for your writing. Pretend that you are Oprah, and write an interview she has with that famous writer. Answer her questions as the famous writer.
--You are at a coffee shop, sitting near two people at another table. You overhear a snippet of conversation. “I told the cab driver where I wanted to go, and he said…” Write the rest of the conversation.
-- Write about an incident or event which caused you to feel deeply loved.
-- Write about an incident or event which showed your deep love for another.
-- You are watching three 5-year-old kids at a playground. Describe what you see.
-- Describe in detail a situation in which you were courageous.
-- Remember a photo of a person who was or is important to you. Write a letter to that person, beginning with, “In this one, you are…..”
-- Think of a piece of furniture in your house that has a lamp on it. Describe that piece of furniture. Then imagine that you are the lamp, and describe the piece of furniture from the lamp’s viewpoint.
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