This week: Exercises for Writers Edited by: Lilli 🧿 ☕ More Newsletters By This Editor
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Learning to write fiction is like training for a marathon. Before you get ready for the main event, it’s good to warm up and stretch your creative muscles. Whether you’re a published author of a bestselling book or a novice author writing a novel for the first time, creative exercises are great for clearing up writer’s block and getting your creative juices flowing.
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Creative writing exercises are short bursts of improvisational writing. From one line to a short story, these writing drills prompt a writer to approach a familiar topic in a new way. Creative writing classes often incorporate short, spontaneous assignments, but any writer should make these a part of their daily habit to expand their abilities and learn how to approach a story in different ways. Creative writers should do these exercises for ten minutes at a time, several times a week. They are meant to improve writing skills, spark new story ideas, and make you a better writer.
Let your stream of consciousness run.
Start with a blank page. Then just start writing. Don’t stop to edit or think about what you’re saying. This is called free writing. This writing exercise is what Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, calls “morning pages.” She suggests writers do this every day right when they wake up. Stream of consciousness writing can draw out some interesting ideas. Just let your brain lead and your fingers type.
Use creative writing prompts.
To generate writing ideas, use writing prompts. A writing prompt is a sentence, word(s), or image that a writer uses as a springboard into a spontaneous story. You can find writing prompts online, choose a line at random from a magazine, or find a great line from a famous novel as the opener for your short scene.
Write a letter to your younger self.
Have you ever wished you could say something to your younger self? Here’s your chance. Think of a subject you want to address, perhaps a significant event, and compose a letter to your younger self as if you were a separate person. Offer advice or send a message you wish you had received when you were going through the experience.
Write a fake advertisement.
Choose a random word from a nearby book or paper and write a mock ad for it. Write one advertisement in a formal, abbreviated newspaper classified format which will force you to pay close attention to your word choice to sell the object. Then write one for an online marketplace, like Craigslist, that allows for longer, more casual text. In each one, describe the object and convince the reader why they should buy it.
Try blogging.
There are a thousand writing tips out there, but they all boil down to one thing: Just write. Blogging is a great writing exercise because it creates an outlet for a regular writing habit. Write a post every day to keep your fingers and your mind nimble. Like most bloggers, you’ll want to have a focus—maybe you’ll narrow your scope to parenting, travel, food reviews, or you can tell stories from your first-person perspective.
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