"She is too fond of books and it has turned her brain." –Louisa May Alcott
There are a lot of ways to interpret today’s exercise. You can go the Halloween route if you choose, or respond to the horrors of recent news headlines, imagine yourself the victim of a hurricane (or if you are one, recount your experience). Whatever you write about, today I want you to write about fear.… Continue reading Writing Exercise: Fear
Think of a character you’ve written before–or, if you’re new to this writing thing, be your own character. Now send this character to a haunted house. Five minutes. Go. Mine:
What was the last song you heard? For me, it was this lovely piece from the Frozen Soundtrack, which makes me think of snow and, though it has nothing to do with the movie, vikings loading a ship, chanting as they work. Anyway, think of the last song you heard. Let it inspire you. Five… Continue reading Writing Exercise: The Last Song You Heard
Have you ever written in the second person? (By which I mean the narrative addresses some sort of “you.”) It’s not a particularly popular style but there are some good examples of it out there. Cherry by Mary Karr is an entire memoir written in the second person. Self-Help by Lorrie Moore uses the second… Continue reading Writing Exercise: The Second Person
Do you know anyone named Rose? First name or last name. A dog, a cat–anyone? What about famous people–Charlie Rose, for example. Or Rosemary Clooney. Or someone who just reminds you of roses. Well, I had a first grade teacher named Mrs. Rose. Come to think of it, I have no idea what her first… Continue reading Writing Exercise: A Rose by Any Other Name
What’s your favorite movie? What’s your most-watched movie? Are they the same? Who’s your favorite character? Could you write from their perspective? Good. Because you’re going to. Five minutes: Go. Mine:
Your opening line: I really hate it when _______. Five minutes. Go.
Do a Google search. Random topic that pops into my mind: horses. Choose a photo out of the top results. I chose this one: Who is this guy? Who owns him? Why is he looking at me like that? Write for five minutes. Go. Mine:
Where do you write? Do you have pictures on the walls? Windows? Is it a coffee house where you escape the noise and chaos of home? Are you alone or are there people? When you look up from this blog post, whose is the first face you see? Make a note of it. Because that’s… Continue reading Writing Exercise: The First Face You See
The Sensitive, Bookish Type 