Can Day dreaming or relaxation
brings out your best ideas?
brings out your best ideas?
Let’s give it a go and get writing stories!
Warm up with some creative writing exercises...
Think of creative writing like running. You can’t just go at it hell-bent-for-leather without warming up and expect to finish in a decent time without getting cramp. Equally, you can’t expect to improve your running technique by just thinking about it - you have to stretch, put on your tracksuit and get yourself to the starting line.
Writing activities help you to stretch your creative muscles, and equip you with the tools you need to get you to the starting line of your story.
What are creative writing exercises?
Creative writing exercises are prompts that encourage short bursts of improvised writing and should trigger your imagination. They are usually fun writing tasks that you shouldn't have to think too much about. Writing activities encourage ideas and words to flow from your imagination to the page without logic or convention getting in the way.
Why are they useful?
- Writing activities help you to beat writer’s block (check out our previous blog for more help on this) - we even have an Inspiration Wall on the Hi2020.co.uk website
- They help you to get your creative juices flowing
- They encourage you to let go of your inhibitions and write freely without judgement
- They allow you to feel the joy of finishing a piece of writing and therefore motivate you to tackle a longer form story
For the following activities to work you will need to trust the process, be kind to yourself and not worry about anything being perfect.
Ready?
Now we get to the fun part… buckle up… grab a pad and pencil and lets get writing 😊
Here are our top 7 creative writing activities:
1. Free writing
Take a blank piece of paper and a pen and set a timer on your phone for 5 minutes. Write continuously until your alarm goes off. Don’t stop yourself, just write down whatever words come into your head. It could be a description of your day, any worries you have or what you can see through your window at this moment. Let your imagination lead and your fingers keep up. Doing this regularly will help you to harvest any ideas or thoughts that might have been lost or discarded by your logical mind.
By JULIE BOGART
There’s a humming in my ears that won’t stop. And an endless drone of electronics and noises in the room: the whir of the refrigerator, the creaking of my daughter’s chair every time she leans back while typing IMs to her friends, the click of the keyboard that won’t stop, can’t stop because I have so much to do, so much to write and post and fix and prepare, so many connections to make, so many thoughts to silence so I can sleep when I should be sleeping, the pounding feet that charge down the stairs, followed by the clicking of dog nails on the old linoleum and the “Mom, I think Rocky needs to go pee”…
2. Change the point of view of a piece of writing
Find a story that you love (this could be a piece of fiction, a podcast episode, a news article or even a fable) and flip the perspective. If the text is written in 3rd person with an omniscient narrator, choose a character and write from their 1st person point of view. If it’s written in 1st person, try to objectively recount the scene in the 3rd person. You could even try utilising 2nd person and give the reader a specific character. This gives you a great starting point for your brain to naturally fill in the blanks.
Here are examples of writing in second person spoken by famous people:
"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
"Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive." - Elbert Hubbard
"Hitch your wagon to a star." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss
"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." - Henry David Thoreau
3. Write a letter to your younger self
We all wish we were in a position to use our new found wisdom to teach our younger selves. Is there something you would warn them against doing? Is there something you would encourage them to do more? Could you help them decipher what really matters? This writing activity can bring up a lot of emotions, but that is a positive thing! Harness them and use them to craft your story.
My dear 8 year old Michelle,
I know your life sucks right now, and I think you know it too. Even though it’s not great, I want you to know you’re so strong inside. You’re like a rock. You are smart, you know how to protect yourself, and you aren’t afraid. That will get you through the sucky times in your life.
You’ll still have good things. You’ll go to college all by yourself, and you’ll have children that you love very much, and they love you too. And one day, you’ll decide you don’t want your life to suck any more, and you’ll change it! That’s how powerful you are, you can change anything if you want!
By the time you’re my age, I know it’s a long time, but don’t worry, you’ll love your life and love yourself. You’ll love your job, you’ll find your true love, and he will be with you.
I know you think about what it will be like when you’re an adult, even at your age, because you’ve had to grow up so fast in your short eight years. But you have a magic inside you that can make things happen. All you need is to really, really, REALLY want them to happen. And they will.
So when you are sad and feel like you’re nothing, think about what you really want. Make it a good thought. Think hard. It will happen for you. Hang in there, your life will be amazing, you’ll see.
I love you just like grandma loves you. XXX Michelle Jaqua
4. Write an advert for the first object you notice in the room
Why not take inspiration from non-fiction writing for your fictional story? Pick up the first object in the room that catches your eye. Observe it and think about why you bought it or why you love it. Now write an advert to encourage other people to buy it. Adverts are a great short form piece of writing to practice as they have a very clear purpose. They encourage you to think about the target audience and what they are looking for, which is an extremely useful tip for your fiction.
Examples of Killer Copywriting:
Clairol Hairspray - we love the simplicity:
"Does she... or doesn't she?"
The Hustle’s email opt in message:
“Your smart, good looking friend sends you an email each morning with all the tech and business news you need to know for the day.”
“MAKE IT LOUD !”
Try and guess what this is for…. Loud speakers!
Nothing screams simplicity like Hiut's slogan
"Do One Thing Well."
5. Read a poem & try to emulate the writing style
Read some of your favourite poetry and notice the techniques that are used to create its unique style. Now try to emulate that same style in your own poem. This works better if the poet has a particularly distinctive style. This writing activity teaches you to read critically and identify the effect of stylistic choices, so that you can go on to form your own voice.
Who Has Seen the Wind?
by Christina Rossetti
by Christina Rossetti
Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.
6. Write a haiku about what you can hear
Focusing on a sense other than sight can help to prompt some different responses. Sticking to the tight stylistic rules of a poem like a haiku can also help you to practice editing your thoughts. A writing activity like this therefore encourages you to only use the words that are necessary to convey the image or feeling you are trying to portray. You have to edit ruthlessly, which is an extremely useful skill for your longer form prose.
Haiku Year
By © Paul Holmes
Published: May 2014
JANUARY
Delightful display
Snowdrops bow their pure white heads
To the sun's glory.
FEBRUARY
Fresh green buds appear
Indicating spring will soon
Energize us all.
MARCH
Lambs gambol in fields
Frisky with the joys of life
Bleating happily.
APRIL
Bluebells stand so proud
Beneath trees so sparsely dressed
Fresh green leaves unfold.
MAY
Much awaited sound
Echoes heard amid dense trees
Cuckoo has arrived.
JUNE
Parks and gardens burst
With sounds and vibrant colours
Perfect harmony.
7. Write 500 words about what your neighbours are doing right now
Something that’s so close but hidden behind a wall seems much easier to imagine than a distant faraway land. This makes it the perfect place to start for some short story practice. Because your mind has prompts like noises, the look of their car or their pristine front lawn for example, it can be easier to imagine the rest of their lives and fill in the blanks. Try to add a bit of a twist or some action in your short story to liven up the domestic scene.
We hope these activities help to stretch out your creative muscles and motivate you to start your story. In the words of Frank McCourt: “Everyone has a story to tell. All you have to do is write it.”
Now it's your turn.. Enjoy!
X
Amelia Barr
~
Our new magazine - or ‘Bookazine’ - is bumper packed with colourful ideas to help you write a great story.
Want to learn more about writing before you start? Our ‘How to Write Short Stories’ magazine is packed full of articles and exercises to help new writers start their creative writing journey. From plot to character development, real life inspiration to words of encouragement - this magazine contains everything you need to know before you put pen to paper.
We understand that times are tough at the moment, so we’re making the downloadable e-book ‘pay as you feel’ to allow more new writers to access it 😊 Coming soon!
GIFT SPECIAL💗
If you fancy treating yourself - because let’s face it, you’ve done really well with this lockdown business - we’ve been working hard to create a special limited edition, gorgeous print version of the magazine!
This may take a little longer to deliver - but email us if you would like to put in your
Pre-order NOW. Email Clare - happyldnpress@gmail.com and she will take care of it for you.
Pre-order NOW. Email Clare - happyldnpress@gmail.com and she will take care of it for you.
The special edition will be £19.99 – and include glorious colour photographs and illustrated diagrams across all the full pages! ❤️❤️❤️
~
Are you a new writer looking
to get your story in print?
Now is your chance!
Hi20:20 Short Story Competition
Once you’ve written your fantastic and inspiring short story, the next step is to enter our competition for your chance to get your fiction published.
There are a few tiny rules - the competition is currently only open for new writers in the UK over 11 years old. The competition offers 20 lucky winners the chance to see their work published in a beautifully illustrated book. To find out more, simply check out this web link below and it will show you how to enter the competition:
This is your chance to showcase your skills. The story must be original and between 1000 and 1500 words, written in English from among the following given topics：
Adventure/travel
Thriller/Dark
Romance
Science/Fantasy
Young Writers (any subject) - for 11 to 18 yrs
Twenty individual winners will be published in a beautifully illustrated book produced by Happy London Press. These twenty winners will also be interviewed on-air at Wycombe Sound 106.6fm, and have a podcast made of their story, read by either the author or an actor and then posted on our podcast station: Anchor.fm/HappyLdnPress
Purchase entry forms here >>>
HURRY! ENTRIES DUE BY 20TH JULY
~ Have lots of fun and take care ~
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