Creative Writing Workshop, Part Trois

Another writing game to get your creativity going!

1. Pick an age between 12 and 18 OR 62 and 100.

2. Pick a city: Paris, Detroit, Chicago, Mumbai, Rio De Janiero, Tokyo, Moscow, Honolulu, Krakow, Athens...or one of your own choosing.

3. Choose a prominent physical feature to make distinctive: nose, ears, eyes, teeth, or hands. For example, a long, crooked nose or small, calloused hands.

4. Pick an eye color.

5. Pick a hair color.

6. Create a name, first name starting with R and last name starting with G. R_____ G_____

7. Choose a passion: painting, jazz music, poetry, aviation, environmental activism, gardening, basketball, cooking, astrophysics, social justice, butterfly collecting, space travel, mad science experimenting, training animals..or one of your own choosing.

You are now officially this character!  Write a two-paragraph minimum story starting with: 

I thought I had been asking politely, but obviously...

Civil Rights Movement: Legacy and Reflection

As we celebrate Black History Month here in the United States (or, as I like to call it, "Why is This Only Once a Year? History Month"), I would like us to think about the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement.  If you don't know very much about it, or if you'd like to learn more, try this website: The Civil Rights Movement.

First, in what way has the Civil Rights Movement changed our nation and our lives? Be specific, thoughtful, and descriptive.

Second, if Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, Rosa Parks, or any of the other myriad brave civil rights activists who are no longer with us, could see the changes we've made and the current state of race relations and civil rights in America, what would they think? How would they react? What might they say?

Third, what does the Civil Rights Movement and the idea of civil rights mean to you personally?

Creative Writing Workshop Part Deux

For this weekend's Creative Writing Workshop, we'll be trying a bit of surrealism...

Follow the directions carefully to create a two paragraph (minimum) short story.

1.) On a small sheet of paper, create two lists of words.  In the first list, write down 8 action verbs ending in -ing.  For the second list, write down 8 plural nouns.

For example:

1. scurrying      1. gardens
2. wobbling      2. centaurs
3. glancing       3. beans

etc.


2.) Now, match up the words in this order: Verb 1 to Noun 7, Verb 2 to Noun 4, Verb 3 to Noun 2, Verb 4 to Noun 8, Verb 5 to Noun 1, Verb 6 to Noun 3, Verb 7 to Noun 5, Verb 8 to Noun 6.

Write down the pairs of words you've created.  For example, "scurrying centaurs" or "glancing gardens."

3.) Now, choose AT LEAST three of these pairs and include them in your story.  Start your story with The alarm went off, and...

CREATE!

Creative Writing Workshop

At Creative Writing Workshops, writers play "writing games" to get their creativity flowing and help inspire them to write freely. Our blog this weekend will be a workshop!

CIRCLE GAME

1.) Choose the one word that most appeals to you: Alabama, Banister, Carousel, Diesel, Exorcist

2.) Choose another word that appeals to you: Extinction, Garage, Harried, Insensitive, Jambalaya

3.) Choose yet another word that you find appealing: Keepsake, Lamb, Code-Breaker, Nonsense, Constellation

Now, use these three words in a story written in third-person limited point-of-view.  

Start with, "He felt just like a gerbil, running around and around on his wheel."



Remember, the two-full paragraph minimum rule still applies!

I can't wait to read where your minds take you!