Writing Exercises - Directions

Making the Familiar New: Exercises to Inspire Creative Thinking

Jun 26, 2008

A collection of writing exercises based around taking familiar ideas and coming at them from a new angle.

All these exercises are ideal for writing groups but also good for individual writing practise.

If working on them in a group, at the end of each exercise read aloud some or all of the material and then look at the ideas for discussion.

If working alone, the ideas for discussion could be used for further reflective writing on the exercise.

Exercise 1: Pushing the Boundaries

Write about a particular sort of silence for ten minutes without pausing.

Stop – then write about it again for ten minutes.

Consider what happens when we return to the same stimulus – can we find greater depth by using up our first response and pushing ourselves on to continue?

Exercise 2: Doorways

Write a description of an actual door, focusing on the door itself in every detail, rather than where it is. Think about the sense responses of seeing, hearing etc. How big is the door? What is it made of and what does that feel like to touch?

Consider doorways: in many religions and myths, spirits, divinities and gate-keepers are specifically assigned to guard doorways. Often to cross a doorway or a threshold requires a blessing for the risk implied in the transition, hence the tradition of carrying a bride over the threshold to ensure she does not trip on her first entrance to the marital home.

Now, write about a notional or metaphorical door – a door of opportunity – a door into the future – a door into a new thought – and remember that doors can close as well as open.

Exercise 3: Sayings and Proverbs

Write a list of familiar sayings and proverbs.

Examples might include:

It never rains but it pours.

Throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

Raining cats and dogs.

Faint heart never won fair lady.

Best foot forward.

You can take a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.

Discuss what these mean literally and then what they mean when we use them today. How many do we really understand? Is their familiarity a weaknesses or a strength in common use?

Now, set out to write some new ones, keeping the general shape and style so that they have the feeling of tradition.

Once everyone taking part has a list, read round and compare.

How many could be slipped into a conversation and really illustrate a point?

How many are surreal or rely on humour for impact?

Next Step

Everyone should choose one of their own new sayings and write about a character who actually uses it.

What might that reveal about them? Someone who says, “A dog on the bed means fleas in your pyjamas” may well have the makings of an interesting protagonist in a story!

If this exercise is being used in the same session as the first two, including silence and doorways in the character study can extend and develop all three.

Going Further

While simple exercises like this are a good way of practising, they also have a role to play in generating new material and the revision of existing work .

Sometimes a change of direction or pushing ourselves that bit further can be very beneficial.

The copyright of the article Writing Exercises - Directions in Writing Techniques is owned by Elaine Walker. Permission to republish Writing Exercises - Directions in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.