Happy
Scream
Guard
Evil
Whirlwind
Cactus
King
Chaos
Angry
Desert
Laugh
Heart
Give each participant a couple of pieces of paper at random. The first person says the first sentence of a story and they must use their first word as part of that sentence. The second person then continues the story and must include their word in it, and so on. Go round the group twice to complete the story.
You can also do this creative writing exercise with story dice, your own choice of words, or by asking participants to write random words down themselves, then shuffling all the cards together.
Every Christmas adults tell kids stories about Santa Claus. In this exercise you write a Christmas story from an alternative dimension.
What if every Christmas Santa didn't fly around the world delivering presents on his sleigh pulled by reindeer? What if gnomes or aliens delivered the presents? Or perhaps it was the gnomes who are trying to emulate the humans? Or some other Christmas tradition entirely that we humans have never heard of!
If you're working with a group, give everyone a couple of minutes to write two possible themes for the new Christmas story. Each theme should be 5 words or less.
Shuffle the paper and distribute them at random. If you're working online, everyone types the themes into the Zoom or group chat. Each writer then spends 10 minutes writing a short story for children based on one of the two themes, or their own theme if they really want to.
If working alone, choose your own theme and spend 15 minutes writing a short story on it. See if you can create the magic of Christmas from another world!
In a murder mystery story or courtroom drama, there's often conflicting information and lots of links between characters. A mind map is an ideal way to illustrate how everything ties together.
Split into groups of 3 or 4 people each and place a blank piece of A3 paper (double the size of A4) in the middle of each group. Discuss between you who the victim is and write their name in the middle of the piece of paper. Then brainstorm information about the murder, for example:
Feel free to expand out from any of these, e.g. to include more information on the different characters involved.
The idea is that everyone writes at the same time! Obviously, you can discuss ideas, but anyone can dive in and write their ideas on the mind map.
If you’re writing a piece of fiction, ask yourself how your protagonist would react to an everyday situation. This can help you to gain a deeper insight into who they are.
One way to do this is to imagine what their New Year’s resolutions would be.
If completing this exercise with a group, limit it to 3 to 5 resolutions per person. If some participants are historical fiction or non-fiction writers, they instead pick a celebrity and either write what their resolutions will be, or what their resolutions should be, their choice.
Stephen King said, "I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops."
He also said, "Take any noun, put it with any verb, and you have a sentence. It never fails. Rocks explode. Jane transmits. Mountains float. These are all perfect sentences. Many such thoughts make little rational sense, but even the stranger ones (Plums deify!) have a kind of poetic weight that’s nice."
In this fiction writing exercise, start by brainstorming (either individually or collectively) seven verbs on seven different pieces of paper. Put those aside for later. Now brainstorm seven nouns. Randomly match the nouns and verbs so you have seven pairs. Choose a pair and write a piece of fiction for ten minutes. Avoid using any adverbs.
It’s the end of the world! For 5 minutes either:
If working as a team, then after the 5 minutes is up each writer reads their description out to the other participants.
For use after your first draft
I’ve listened to a lot of masterclasses on writing by successful authors and they all say variants of your first draft won’t be good and that’s fine. Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman summarise it the best:
“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.”
Terry Pratchett
“For me, it’s always been a process of trying to convince myself that what I’m doing in a first draft isn’t important. One way you get through the wall is by convincing yourself that it doesn’t matter. No one is ever going to see your first draft. Nobody cares about your first draft. And that’s the thing that you may be agonising over, but honestly, whatever you’re doing can be fixed… For now, just get the words out. Get the story down however you can get it down, then fix it.”
Neil Gaiman
Once you’ve written your first draft, it will need editing to develop the plot, enhance the characters, and improve each scene in a myriad of ways – small and large. These seven creative editing exercises are designed to help with this stage of the process.
Read the first paragraph of the novel, in particular the first sentence. Does it launch the reader straight into the action? According to On Writing and Worldbuilding by Timothy Hickson, “The most persuasive opening lines are succinct, and not superfluous. To do this, it is often effective to limit it to a single central idea… This does not need to be the most important element, but it should be a central element that is interesting.” Ask yourself what element your opening sentence encapsulates and whether it’s the best one to capture your readers’ attention.
Consistency is crucial in creative writing, whether it’s in relation to location, objects, or people.
It’s also crucial for personality, emotions and motivation.
Look at scenes where your protagonist makes an important decision. Are their motivations clear? Do any scenes force them to choose between two conflicting morals? If so, do you explore this? Do their emotions fit with what’s happened in previous scenes?
As you edit your manuscript, keep the characters’ personality, emotions and motivation in mind. If their behaviour is inconsistent, either edit it for consistency, or have someone comment on their strange behaviour or be surprised by it. Inconsistent behaviour can reveal that a character is keeping a secret, or is under stress, so characters don’t always need to be consistent. But when they’re not, there has to be a reason.
This exercise is the first in The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass. It’s a writing guide with a plethora of editing exercises designed to help you reenergize your writing by thinking of what your character is feeling, and giving you the tools to make your reader feel something.
Search for the following words in your book:
Whenever these words occur, ask yourself if you can demonstrate how your characters feel, rather than simply stating it. For each occasion, can you use physiological descriptors (a racing heart), actions (taking a step backwards) or dialogue to express what’s just happened instead? Will this enhance the scene and engage the reader more?
Find a scene where your characters disagree – in particular a scene where your protagonist argues with friends or allies. What happens next?
It can be tempting to wrap up the action with a quick resolution. But what if a resentment lingers and mistrust builds? This creates a more interesting story arc and means a resolution can occur later, giving the character development a real dynamic.
Review how you resolve the action and see if you can stretch out the emotions for a more satisfying read.
Ensure that the words used don’t detract from the enormity of the events your character is going through. Can you delete words like, “Quite”, “Little”, or “Rather”?
Of “Very” Florence King once wrote: “ 'Very' is the most useless word in the English language and can always come out. More than useless, it is treacherous because it invariably weakens what it is intended to strengthen .” Delete it, or replace the word after it with a stronger word, which makes “Very” redundant.
“That,” is another common word used in creative writing which can often be deleted. Read a sentence as is, then reread it as if you deleted, “That”. If the meaning is the same, delete it.
When talking about chapter endings, James Patterson said, “At the end, something has to propel you into the next chapter.”
Read how each of your chapters finish and ask yourself does it either:
Review how you wrap up each of your chapters. Do you end at the best point in your story? Can you add anticipation to cliff hangers? Will you leave your readers wanting more?
The editing exercises are designed to be completed individually.
With the others, I've always run them as part of a creative writing group, where there's no teacher and we're all equal participants, therefore I keep any 'teaching' aspect to a minimum, preferring them to be prompts to generate ideas before everyone settles down to do the silent writing. We've recently gone online and if you run a group yourself, whether online or in person, you're welcome to use these exercises for free!
The times given are suggestions only and I normally get a feel for how everyone's doing when time's up and if it's obvious that everyone's still in the middle of a discussion, then I give them longer. Where one group's in the middle of a discussion, but everyone else has finished, I sometimes have a 'soft start' to the silent writing, and say, "We're about to start the hour and a half of silent writing now, but if you're in the middle of a discussion, feel free to finish it first".
This way everyone gets to complete the discussion, but no-one's waiting for ages. It's also important to emphasise that there's no wrong answers when being creative.
Still looking for more? Check out these creative writing prompts or our dedicated Sci-Fi and Fantasy creative writing prompts
If you've enjoyed these creative writing exercises, please share them on social media, or link to them from your blog.
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Character rounding, character exercises.
Lottery generator.
This site provides (completely free) creative writing prompts and exercises to help you get started with creative writing and break through writing blocks - as well as some fun anagram vocabulary games.
Generate random story ideas, plots, subjects, scenarios, characters, first lines for stories and more. Did I mention it's all free? Have fun :-)
- Update March 2024: Random First Line - lots of new prompts and you can now choose a genre Creative Writing - First Steps - dive right in with some practical tasks to get you started.
- Update November 2023: New 'Guess The Word' game
- Update August 2023: Bite-size Writing Tips and Tricks. 3-minute reads
Random first line prompts.
Generate a random first line for a story.
Prompts to encourage freewriting.
Generate a plot-line at the click of a button.
Generate two characters, a setting, a situation and a theme. Change the elements until you are happy with your plot.
Generate elements for a murder plot. Change the elements until you get an interesting mystery to solve.
Another freewriting exercise. Make connections between random nouns.
Writing prompts to help with dialogue writing.
Create a 'What If?' scenario to write about.
Browse my random list of writing exercises.
For poets and songwriters. Enter a word to find rhyming and similar-sounding words.
Generate a selection of words and use the suggestions to kick-start your writing.
Create your own story title.
Create a character outline.
Create some interesting aspects to your character.
There's now a section dedicated to writing prompts for children of primary/elementary school age.
Generate a fictitious,'English-sounding' town name.
Get plot ideas for your own story-writing by looking at the plots of over 100 popular films.
Use images to help you write.
Generate random traits for your characters.
Generate an occupation for your character.
Choose first and last names for characters.
Develop your character into a well-rounded person, quirky habits and all.
Exercise your brain and keep your vocabulary in good shape with this free anagram game.
Another anagram game - each word must contain the middle letter.
Enter a list of letters and discover all the words you can make with them.
Have fun improving your Scrabble vocabulary.
Because every aspiring author needs a back-up plan...
Quick Links:
A colleague of mine recently shared these ten great writing game ideas to improve literacy skills in the classroom. They are simple to play and can be applied to nearly all year levels.
These are some of the best writing games that require minimal or no setup time and are an excellent option for substitute teachers looking to quickly break the ice with students or English teachers just seeking fresh ideas to brighten up their lessons. Enjoy.
Remember that if you are looking for more excellent free resources and structured guides to teaching all aspects of English, especially writing, be sure to visit literacyideas.com .
Start with a short sentence or group of words. Pass it around to about 6 people, with the rule that each person must add (a word or a group of words) or change ONE word ( to another word or a group of words) to make the sentence more specific and more enjoyable.
Students write sentences or longer texts and substitute drawings for nouns.
Quick Write and JOURNAL Activities for ALL TEXT TYPES in DIGITAL & PDF PRINT to engage RELUCTANT WRITERS .
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Place an object in a bag- ensure the students don’t see it. Students feel the object in the bag and use words to describe how it feels. They take it out and add /alter their adjectives.
An object is passed around a group of students. Each student suggests an adjective to describe it.
Alternative
Students provide an adjectival phrase or clause to describe the object
Students randomly select from a box a picture of an animal, person or object that moves. They brainstorm action verbs for the chosen object.
The students can supply verbs and adverbs
They can supply adjectives or adjectival groups
Read a text ( this case narrative ), and at a particular point, stop and ask students to select a character and suggest, for example:
Students locate and change one word that will alter the sentence’s meaning.
They share their alterations and discuss which part of speech was the most important in changing the meaning .
Read a text and ask students to write nouns on cards ( red), adjectives (blue), and articles in orange. Rearrange words to create different noun groups. Students can also locate verbs ( green card) and adverbs (yellow). Rearrange all the words to create new sentences.
Students can locate adjectival phrases, clauses, or adverbial phrases and write these on other coloured cards.
Players must throw a 1 before they can begin. The winner is the first person to make a sentence that includes all of the following:
They can then rearrange the sentence parts to see how many ways they can make another meaningful sentence.
Other parts of speech can be used for each number thrown.
Before the activity, a cube is prepared. Upon each face of the cube, a task is written that requires specific grammar knowledge. For example:
Make a sentence
Make a question
Provide two adjectives
Provide two verbs
Create a noun group (e.g. article, adjective/s noun)
Provide a noun and an adverb
Students select a subject ( noun) from a tin. They throw the cube, and whichever side of the cube faces up is the task they must attempt.
I believe there’s a writer inside of all of us.
Even if you don’t think you write well, you do have something to say.
You have a story to tell, knowledge to impart , and experiences to share.
You’ve lived a full life that’s packed with observations and adventures, and you shouldn’t exit this Earth without chronicling them in some way.
Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, your life is the laboratory for creating a great book or story.
If you can talk, you can write — even if you need to brush up on grammar and spelling. You’ll naturally become a better writer the more you write.
You’ll learn how to organize ideas, make smooth transitions, and expand your vocabulary.
Reading also improves your writing, so if you have the tiniest desire to write well, read a wide variety of books in different genres.
You can accelerate your writing competence with some simple writing exercises.
Your inner creative muscle needs exertion to stay fit and strong — but writing exercises don’t need to be drudgery.
They can be fun and exciting as you see how much creative juice you have just waiting to be squeezed.
These creative exercises should be practiced without self-judgment, inner filters, or concern about what a reader might think.
The purpose is to allow your creative mind complete freedom to cut loose.
You don’t have to show these writing exercises to anyone if you don’t want to.
It’s a good weekly practice engage in writers exercises to what catches your imagination and awakens your inner author .
2. write a letter to your younger self., 3. use writing prompts., 4. write about your expertise. , 5. write a stream of consciousness page., 6. write a story told to you., 7. pretend to be someone else. , 8. write about something or someone who changed your life., 9. describe your surroundings., 10. pick a number., 11. describe a dream of yours — or the life of your dreams., what are creative writing exercises.
“Perfect” writers don’t exist. Even Ernest Hemingway and Alice Walker honed the craft right up to their waning days. Growth, improvement, and experimentation are the clarion calls of professional and aspiring scribes. And those who succeed put in the work.
That’s where creative writing exercises come in, as they’re designed to help you play with words in a non-judgmental environment.
Common “craft-sharpening” writing games and tools include:
Serious writers — and people serious about becoming better writers — are perpetually composing pieces that will never see the light of day. But just as a tennis player hits thousands of serves during practice sessions, writers scribe thousands of short language exercises. To continue the sports analogy: Writing exercises are the equivalent of an athlete stretching before a game or match.
In this exercise, you’ll use three questions to stimulate creative thought. You can write these questions yourself, but I’ll give you some examples to show you what to do.
You want to answer the questions as quickly as you can, with whatever ideas pop into your mind.
Write as much or as little as you wish, but just allow the words to flow without pondering too much what you want to say.
In this exercise, you are writing to yourself at a younger age. It can be your childhood self or yourself just a few years back.
You can offer advice, compassion, explanation, forgiveness, or praise.
Or you can simply recount an experience you had and how it impacted you as your adult self now.
Try to see this younger self as a real and separate person when you write the letter. This exercise helps you think about your reader as a real person with emotions — a person who can be moved and inspired by your writing.
Again, try not to overthink this exercise. Spend a few minutes deciding the core message of the letter, and then just start writing without filters.
A writing prompt is an idea that jumpstarts the writing process.
The prompt can be a short sentence, a paragraph, or even a picture, but the purpose is the same — to ignite your creativity so you’ll begin writing.
Writing prompts can help you when you feel stuck while writing your book.
If you take ten minutes to work on a writing prompt, you can go back to your book writing primed to get down to business. It stimulates ideas for a writer and releases the creative process.
Here are a few prompts you can use:
Think about something you know how to do well. It can be anything from washing the dishes to selling stocks.
Write a few paragraphs (or more if you wish) explaining some aspect of how to do what you do.
Assume your reader is completely ignorant about the subject.
This writing shouldn’t sound like a dry instruction manual. Try to write in a conversational style, as though you’re verbally explaining the process.
Break down the steps in a way that makes the reader understand exactly what to do, without using business jargon or buzzwords.
This is an easy and fun exercise. You want to write it in longhand rather than typing on your computer, as handwriting slows down the process and allows more time for your creative brain to do its work.
Grab a pen and blank pad and simply start writing. Write down whatever comes into your brain, no matter how nonsensical or disjointed.
There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages — they are not high art. They are not even “writing.” They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page…and then do three more pages tomorrow.
In this exercise, you want to recount a story told to you by another person.
It can be a story one of your parents or grandparents shared about something that happened many years ago, or it can be a more recent event a friend or family member recounted.
Or you can tell a story you learned in school or through reading about a well-known person or event.
The story can be funny, sad, or educational — but it should be interesting, entertaining, or engaging in some way.
Whether your book is fiction or non-fiction, readers love stories. They enjoy relating to the lives and experiences of other people.
When you share stories in your writing, you humanize your writing and take your readers on a small journey.
In this exercise, you’ll practice writing from another person’s perspective. You can choose a person you know well, or you can write from the point of view of an imagined character.
Put yourself in this person’s shoes, see things through their eyes, and react the way they would react.
Choose one situation, encounter, or setting, and write what you see, hear, think, and feel about the scenario. Get inside of this person’s brain, and try to be as descriptive as possible.
You can write a paragraph or several pages if you’re inspired.
In this exercise, rather than telling the story of someone else or pretending to be another person, you want to share your story from your perspective.
Write about a person or event that has profoundly impacted you and changed your life.
Rather than simply recounting the situation, talk about how it made you feel, what your reactions were, and how you were changed on the inside as well as the outside.
Pour your heart into this writing. Remember, you don’t have to show it to anyone, so be completely vulnerable and real in this exercise.
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Simply write a paragraph or two about your surroundings.
You can write in first person (“I am sitting at my desk, which is littered with papers and old coffee cups.”), or write in third person, simply describing what you see (“The room is bleak and empty except for one old wooden chair.”).
Challenge yourself to use descriptive language to set the scene.
Rather than saying, “The light is shining through the window,” you might say, “The morning sun is streaming through the window, spotlighting a million dancing dust particles and creating mottled shadows on my desk.”
Whether you write fiction or non-fiction , you want to write intriguing descriptions that invite the reader into the setting so they can “see” what you see.
Even numbers can serve to inspire writing. This exercise combines numbers with something else you probably have at your disposal.
Pick a random number between 1 and 30. We’ll call it number n. Then look to your bookshelf (real or virtual) and choose the nth book.
( Note: If you have more than 30 books on your shelf, you can choose a bigger number).
Then you’d open that book to the nth page and go to the nth sentence on that page.
Write that sentence down and make it the first sentence of a new freewriting exercise. Just write whatever comes to mind for the next sentence and the one after that, and so on.
Write at least as many sentences as the number you chose.
Think of a dream you remember and describe it in as much detail as you can recall.
From there, you can take that dream and turn it into a story or play with possible interpretations — serious or just for fun.
Or you can write about the life you dream of living. Describe a perfect day in that life, from the time you wake up to the time you lie back down.
Describe the home in which you live or the places you want to go. Imagine you’re living there in the locale of your choice for as long as you wish.
Don’t bother trying to make it sound realistic.
Just let the words flow, and enjoy the ride. Part of the fun of learning how to practice writing fiction is letting your imagination take over — without any heckling from your inner editor.
At first explanation, writing exercises may sound a tad tedious. But people who do them improve by leaps and bounds.
For starters, it all comes down to the human brain’s wiring. In short, every thought and idea we have is conducted by electrical impulses that torpedo around our nervous systems. When we practice something, the associated “circuits” grow myelin, a biological cushion that protects nerves. The added shielding optimizes the relevant electrical paths, rendering them more efficient.
In other words: The more you do something, the better you’ll get. It doesn’t matter if you have an IQ of 80 or 180. Practice yields results. With writing, the more you do it, the better work you’ll produce.
Specifically, creative prose lessons also:
No matter how experienced you are as a writer, you can always improve and tap deeper into the wellspring of your own creativity.
You can always learn new ways to express yourself and delight your reader.
View these writing exercises as a means to opening doors of insight and imagination and enjoy the process of becoming a better writer.
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Journal Buddies Jill | March 17, 2024 March 29, 2021 | Writing by Grade Level , Journal Prompts & Writing Ideas
Come explore and discover our fabulous list of quick writing prompts— Yes, we love to spark the imaginations of your students and writers and would love to help you jumpstart their next quick write project! Read on to discover how. I think you’ll be glad you did!
Quick and short — or not — any writer will tell you that getting started is often one of the hardest parts of writing.
Plus, for kids who are inexperienced or who lack confidence in their writing, getting started can be even more of a challenge.
Fortunately…
A good, quick writing prompt is one of the best and simplest ways to kick-start creativity and get the inspiration flowing!
You see…
This all-new list of quick write prompts for students is designed to help kids who are feeling stuck move past their writer’s blocks.
Best of all…
These prompts cover a variety of topics and use several methods to help students dive right into their newest pieces of writing.
While some questions call for reflection and self-analysis, others focus on description, hypothetical dreams, and imagination. However, they all share one important trait in common: each prompt is easy to read and begin answering immediately.
Use these writing prompts in your lesson today. Just have your writers grab a notebook. Then, get those creative juices flowing now by using at least one of these 34 quick writing prompts anytime with your students. (Do this especially when they say that they don’t know what to write about—or when they simply need a little bit of extra creativity.)
Ok… Get those pens in hand and have some writing fun now. Enjoy!
The following is an excerpt from “ The Quickwrite Handbook 100 Mentor Texts to Jumpstart Your Students’ Thinking and Writing” by Linda Rief.
The Benefits of Quickwrites Writing and teaching writing can be intimidating. It is hard work, and it takes time. Quickwrites offer an easy and manageable writing experience that helps both students and teachers find their voices and develop their confidence, as they discover that they have important things to say. This quick exercise pulls words out of the writer’s mind, and I am always surprised at the precision of language, level of depth and detail, and clarity of focus I hear when a student reads a three-minute quickwrite out loud. When the models for quickwrites are compelling and carefully chosen, students are able to focus closely and write clearly. Over the years of using these invitations to write with students in my classroom and with teachers in workshops and courses, I’ve discovered so many of their benefits: Quickwrites bring out the writer. They: • give students ideas and frames for their writing so that they are not working in a void. • focus students’ attention and stimulate their thinking at the beginning of a class. • provide and capture the seeds of ideas for more expanded pieces. • encourage writing about important ideas, chosen to make us think and feel as we learn. • give students choices about what they write, how they write, and what works and does not work. • help students focus on one subject in great detail by giving them examples filled with sensory detail. • introduce students to a variety of stylistic devices and craft lessons they might try in their writing. Quickwrites build students’ confidence. They: • offer surprise when students discover that they didn’t realize how much they knew, or what they were thinking, until they began writing. • build confidence when students see the quality of their writing. • make writing accessible to all students, even those who struggle the most with words and ideas, because quickwrites are short, quick, non-threatening, and directed toward a specific task. Quickwrites develop fluency. They: • keep students writing several times a week. • keep students writing beyond the quickwrite when they find themselves committed to a topic that matters to them. • offer ongoing practice for writing in sensible, realistic, and meaningful ways on demand or in timed situations. Quickwrites bring out the reader. They: • teach students to become better readers as they hear, see, and craft language. • teach students critical reading as they choose significant lines, and then draft and reconsider their ideas in the clearest ways. • provide examples of fine, compelling writing from their peers, their teacher, and professional writers. • introduce students to a variety of writers: poets, essayists, and fiction and nonfiction writers. Quickwrites help teachers grow as writers. They • allow us time to write for two to three minutes each class period. • help us find ideas for writing and our voices as writers. • clarify our understanding of the difficulty of the task we are asking students to complete, because we’re doing what we’ve asked them to do.
Download a free 7-page sample of Quickwrites in PDF format now .
There is no doubt that a quick write practice will do wonders to help improve your student understanding of this particular style of writing. Try these ideas and resources today. I think you’ll be glad you did!
Whether your students are interested in journal prompts for a journal entry, fiction writing prompts, story ideas, poetry, romance, comedy, or adventure stories, we have creative writing prompts for all genres of writing – and MORE!
Inspiration can be gleaned from real life, movies, their favorite poem, social media posts, or even video games! Working writing into the daily routine, either at school or on their own, can become a fun habit and will improve writing skills for all ages and grade levels.
Until next time, write on…
If you enjoyed these Quick Writing Prompts for Middle School Students , please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest. I appreciate it!
Sincerely, Jill journalbuddies.com creator and curator
The best writing exercises bring out our latent creativity. Especially if you ever feel stuck or blocked, making creative writing exercises part of your daily writing practice can be a great way to both hone your skills and explore new frontiers in your writing. Whether you’re a poet, essayist, storyteller, or genre-bending author, these free writing exercises will jumpstart your creative juices and improve your writing abilities.
The best creative writing exercises will push you out of your comfort zone and get you to experiment with words. Language is your sandbox, so let’s build some sand castles with these exercises and writing prompts.
The English language is huge, complicated, and — quite frankly — chaotic. Writing with self-imposed limitations can help you create novel and inventive pieces.
What does “limitations” mean in this context? Basically, force yourself not to use certain words, descriptions, or figures of speech. Some writing exercises using limitations include the following:
Among exercises to improve writing skills, writing with limitations has the clearest benefits. This practice challenges your brain to think about language productively. Additionally, these limitations force you to use unconventional language – which, in turn, makes you write with lucidity, avidity, and invention.
What do you do when the words just don’t come out? How can you write better if you can’t seem to write at all? One of the best poetry exercises, as well as writing exercises in general, is to start your day by freewriting.
Freewriting, also known as “stream of consciousness writing,” involves writing your thoughts down the moment they come. There’s no filtering what you write, and no controlling what you think: topicality, style, and continuity are wholly unnecessary in the freewriting process. While the idea of freewriting seems easy, it’s much harder than you think – examining your thoughts without controlling them takes a while to master, and the impulse to control what you write isn’t easy to tame. Try these exercises to master the skill:
Among daily writing exercises, freewriting is one of the best writing exercises. Poets can use freewritten material as inspiration for their poetry. Prose writers can also find inspiration for future stories from the depths of their consciousnesses. Start your writing day with freewriting, and watch your creativity blossom.
Plagiarism is still off the table; however, you can learn a lot by paying attention to how other people write. This is what we call “reading like a writer.”
Reading like a writer means paying attention to the craft elements that make an excellent piece of literature work. Good writing requires different writing styles, figurative language, story structures, and/or poetry forms, as well as key word choice.
When you notice these craft elements, you can go ahead and emulate them in your own work. As a fiction writer , you might be drawn to the way Haruki Murakami weaves folklore into his stories, and decide to write a story like that yourself. Or, as a poet, you might be inspired by Terrance Hayes’ Golden Shovel form — enough so that you write a Golden Shovel yourself.
Among free writing exercises, this is a great way to learn from the best. The best kinds of exercises to improve writing skills involve building upon the current canon of works — as Isaac Newton said, you achieve something great by “standing on the shoulders of giants.”
The conventional advice given to writers is to “write what you know.” We couldn’t disagree with that statement more. The best creative works force both the writer and the reader to consider new perspectives and learn something new; writing from a new point-of-view makes for a great exercise in expanding your creative limits.
Try these ideas as daily writing exercises:
While playing with perspective makes for a great fiction writing exercise , poets and essayists can do this too. Patricia Smith’s poem “Skinhead,” for example, is a persona piece written from the perspective of a white nationalist, but the poem clearly condemns the speaker’s beliefs.
Thus, perspective writing also works as a poetry exercise and an essay writing practice exercise . If you’re stuck in your own head, try writing in someone else’s!
All creative writers need figurative language. While metaphors, similes, and synecdoches are more prominent in poetry , prose writers need the power of metaphor to truly engross their reader. Among both exercises to improve writing skills and fun writing exercises for adults, writing metaphor lists is one of the best writing exercises out there.
A metaphor list is simple. On a notebook, create two columns. In one column, write down only concrete nouns. Things like a pillow, a tree, a cat, a cloud, and anything that can be perceived with one of the five senses.
In the other list, write down only abstract ideas. Things like love, hate, war, peace, justice, closure, and reconciliation — anything that is conceptual and cannot be directly perceived.
Now, choose a random noun and a random concept, and create a metaphor or simile with them. Delve into the metaphor and explain the comparison. For example, you might say “Love is like a pillow — it can comfort, or it can smother.”
Once you’ve mastered the metaphor list, you can try the following ideas to challenge yourself:
Any free creative writing exercise that focuses on figurative language can aid your writing immensely, as it helps writers add insight and emotionality to their work. This is an especially great creative writing exercise for beginners as they learn the elements of style and language.
Of course, the best way to improve your creative writing skills is simply to write every day. Keeping a daily journal is a great way to exercise your writing mind. By sitting down with your personal observations and writing without an agenda or audience, a daily writing practice remains one of the best writing exercises , regardless of your genre or level of expertise.
Consider these ideas for your daily journal:
Learn more about keeping a journal here:
How to Start Journaling: Practical Advice on How to Journal Daily
Many of these writing exercises might feel challenging at first—and that’s a good thing! You will unlock new ideas and writing strengths by struggling through these creative challenges. The main point is to have fun with them and use them to explore within your writing, without indulging too many monologues from your inner critic.
Are you looking for more exercises to improve your writing skills? Our instructors can offer prompts, illuminating lectures, one-to-one feedback, and more to help you improve your craft. Check out our upcoming creative writing courses , and let’s put these skills to practice.
Thank you for this. I’ve been stuck for months—more than that, actually, and you’d think that a pandemic stay-at-home would be the perfect time to do some writing. But no. I’m as stuck as ever. In fact, the only time I seem able to write consistently and well is when I’m taking one of your classes! I’m still saving my pennies, but these exercises will hopefully get me writing in the meantime. Thanks again!
Hi Kathy, I’m glad to hear some of these tips might spark your creativity 🙂 I feel the same way, I was hoping the stay-at-home order might spark some creativity, but we shouldn’t push ourselves too hard – especially in the midst of a crisis.
The best part about writing: all you have to do is try, and you’ve already succeeded. Good luck on your writing endeavors!
Bravo….!What a great piece! Honestly I learnt a lot here!
I picked interest in poetry just a week ago after reading a beautiful piece which captivated my mind into the world of writing. I’d love to write great poems but I don’t know anything about poetry, I need a coach, a motivator and an inspiration to be able to do this. This piece really helped me but I will appreciate some more tips and help from you or anyone else willing to help, I am really fervid about this.
Hi Anthony,
Thanks for your comment! I’m so excited for you to start your journey with poetry. We have more advice for poetry writing at the articles under this link: https://writers.com/category/poetry
Additionally, you might be interested in two of our upcoming poetry courses: Poetry Workshop and How to Craft a Poem .
If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at [email protected] . Many thanks, and happy writing!
[…] 24 Best Writing Exercises to Become a Better Writer | writers.com […]
Hi, kinsey there. Thanks for giving information. it is a very informative blog and i appreciate your effort to write a blog I am also a writer and i like these type of blogs everyone takes more knowledge to check out my essay writing website
As a writer, I often struggle to break free from the chains of writer’s block, but this blog has gifted me with a map of inspiration to navigate through those creative storms. It’s like being handed a box of enchanted writing exercises
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Group writing exercises you can do with your writing circle or critique group are a fun ice-breaker and a way to get creative ideas flowing. Read 50 ‘fill in the blank’ creative writing prompts.
‘Fill in the blank’ writing exercises are fun to do in a group. Writing exercises with some set parameters highlight the diverse, interesting ways different writers interpret and respond to the same prompts. Try one of 50 ‘fill in the blank’ creative writing prompts below, and share your creativity in the comments or tag @NowNovel if sharing your version on social media.
The first prompt was a prompt for a contest to win a place on our Group Coaching writing course .
Every year, I’d made a resolution not to ever __ again. Yet by January 20th I’d already __ and __.
Entries were voted on blind by a panel of four from the Now Novel team, and the winner was Ethan Myers with this entry:
Here are 49 more prompts to enjoy and stimulate creative ideas:
On leaving As soon as I turned 18, I left__. It was a town of__and__ .
On arrival I walked through the arched entryway and my jaw dropped. Everywhere you looked there were__. Marco Polo himself could never have imagined__.
The first time It was my first ever flight. I was__. Then a__ sat down next to me, turning to me and asking, “__?”
Compare and contrast My hometown was__. When I got to__, a college town, the first thing I noticed was__.
Use the senses The minute you entered, you could smell __. Paired with the sound of __, it was unmistakably home.
Be specific The home we’d rented for the holidays was neither__ nor__, contrary to the listing. Yet my younger brother was delighted when we found__.
Build a bucket list I’d always wanted to go to__. I’d read so much about its__, though nothing had prepared me for__.
Create a world In the books I had read as a kid, portals were gateways to worlds where __. Yet here, I was surprised to find a__.
Outside/inside Outside, the sounds of__ filled the air__. Yet inside, the 19th Century __was like another world, full of strange __.
Stay accountable, in a structured program with writing sprints, coach Q&As, webinars and feedback in an intimate writing group.
Lovers’ quarrel We thought it would be a romantic getaway to Rome. Then__. By the end of the day, hot and fed up, we__.
A troubling lookout He climbed the watchtower, yet when he turned to the window, what he saw made him tremble.__.
The duel Many had said that if they were ever to duel, no two could be more equally matched. But what his opponent didn’t know was__.
Alien invasion In alien movies, they always blew up The White House or__. So he hadn’t expected to be toe to toe with an extraterrestrial having a screamed debate about__.
An assassin As the most skilled contract killer in the kingdom, she knew how to__. Yet nobody knew that she__.
Warring nations It started with a trade embargo. Then the president said that our neighbors’ president was a __ with a __. Next thing we knew, __.
Difficult decisions I couldn’t decide whether to__ or to__, but it was 4:45 pm and the last train was leaving in five minutes.
Secrets and lies “I never__,” he said. Yet I knew he was lying because__.
Surprises “Guess what I have behind my back?” she said. “__?” I guessed. “No!” She held out__.
Confessions “I didn’t know how to tell you this … I__.” “I’m glad you told me, now we can__.”
Embarrassing family “Your son is very talented, Mr Jones,” the__ said. “You say that now. You should have seen when he was 9. He__ and we were told that__.”
Thinking aloud “You should__.” “What did you just say?” “Did I just say that out loud? I was thinking about__.”
Know-it-all “Bet you didn’t know__,” he gloated. “Bet you didn’t know__,” I clapped back, full sass.
Bad bard “Shall I compare thee-“ I married a thespian. “Shall I compare you to __?” I rolled my eyes.
Wild reactions His face was as __ as a__ after the bug bite and we were all a bit worried.
Comparing the moon The moon is a__ tonight, its thin crescent glowing like a__.
Making abstraction specific My anxiety is like a__ on the first day of school. A__ with a __.
Sound and simile The first minutes the orchestra was like a __, the music shimmering like __. But in the allegro the principal violinist’s string broke and the conductor__.
Describing emotions Fear is a__ with a__.
Describing the human voice He had a voice like__, like a__ echoing in a __.
Degrees of comparison The mysterious drink they prepared was sweeter than__. But sweeter still was__.
Fugitive I had run all night, adrenaline keeping fatigue at bay. When I saw__ as dawn broke, I knew__.
Collective They had ways of dealing with dissent. If you dared to go against the clan, you would be__, God help you.
The reader as reader You decide to go to the library. You want to read a book about__. The librarian raises an eyebrow as they run the barcode scanner. “__?” They ask, as you blush.
The group as one That summer, we__ until we couldn’t__. We were all in our twenties, and the days were__.
Future perfect tense, indicative mood In several years’ time, she will have changed, our__ changing like__.
Present tense, potential mood “They may change their minds,” the King says, scowling, “or else we may have to__ and__.”
Future tense, subjunctive mood If I should__, then tell everyone I never__.
[See a helpful explanation of verb moods and tenses in Ursula K. Le Guin’s Steering the Craft . ]
Colum McCann – Let the Great World Spin We had a short driveway full of__. If we crossed the road, we could stand on__ and__.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez – Love in the Time of Cholera He had returned from a long stay in Paris, where he__, and from the time he set foot on solid ground he__.
Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake Jimmy’s earliest complete memory was of a huge__. He must have been five, maybe six. He was wearing__.
Virginia Woolf – Mrs Dalloway Her only gift was__. If you put her in a room with some one, up went her back like a cat’s; or she__.
Italo Calvino – The Complete Cosmicomics I thought only of the Earth. It was the Earth that caused each of us to__.
David Sedaris – Me Talk Pretty One Day When painting proved too difficult, I turned to__, telling myself__.
Eva Hoffman – Lost in Translation The library is located in a__ street, in an ancient building, which one enters through a__. It is Plato’s cave, Egyptian temple, the space of__.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Half of a Yellow Sun Richard said little at the parties Susan took him to. When she introduced him, she always added__. But they were pleasant to him; they would be to__.
Ursula K. Le Guin – The Left Hand of Darkness I’ll make my report as if I told a story, for I was taught__.
Colson Whitehead – The Zone The reunions were terrific and rote, early tutelage in the recursive nature of human experience. “__?” the girlfriends asked as they padded in bearing__, and he’d say “__”.
Barbara Kingsolver – The Poisonwood Bible Once every few years, even now, I catch the scent of__. It makes me want to keen, sing,__.
Jorge Luis Borges – Labyrinths He opened a drawer of the black and gold desk. He faced me and in his hands he held__.
Emily Brontë – Wuthering Heights While enjoying a month of fine weather at the sea-coast, I was thrown into the company of a__, a real__.
Find daily writing prompts plus literary device definitions and terms.
Build focus and a steady writing routine, and get help from experienced coaches and editors while connecting with other writers on our 6-month Group Coaching course. Learn more and see what alumni loved.
Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.
These exercises look like fun!
Sometimes there comes a point when you can’t think of anything worth writing. I guess every writer will know what I mean. But with these templates, I can get some inspiration and share whole stories with my friends.
Thank you, Jordan.
Hi Daisy, I’m glad that you found these ideas inspiring, it’s a pleasure. Thank you for sharing your feedback!
I love these! They’re inspiring (although I want to cheat and use them as-is). Lots of material for future fun 😉
Hi Margriet, thank you! I’m glad you find these writing exercises fun. We can share fill-in-the-blank exercises in the challenge group, that’s another idea.
Thankyou Jordan for these great points.
It’s a pleasure, Dave. Thank you for reading our blog.
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ThinkWritten
Here are 365 Creative Writing Prompts to help inspire you to write every single day! Use them for journaling, story starters, poetry, and more!
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If you want to become a better writer, the best thing you can do is practice writing every single day. Writing prompts are useful because we know sometimes it can be hard to think of what to write about!
To help you brainstorm, we put together this list of 365 creative writing prompts to give you something to write about daily.
Want to Download these prompts? I am super excited to announce due to popular demand we now have an ad-free printable version of this list of writing prompts available for just $5. The printable version includes a PDF as a list AND print-ready prompt cards. {And all the design source files you could ever need to customize any way you would like!}
Whether you write short stories, poems, or like to keep a journal – these will stretch your imagination and give you some ideas for topics to write about!
1. Outside the Window : What’s the weather outside your window doing right now? If that’s not inspiring, what’s the weather like somewhere you wish you could be?
2. The Unrequited love poem: How do you feel when you love someone who does not love you back?
3. The Vessel: Write about a ship or other vehicle that can take you somewhere different from where you are now.
4. Dancing: Who’s dancing and why are they tapping those toes?
5. Food: What’s for breakfast? Dinner? Lunch? Or maybe you could write a poem about that time you met a friend at a cafe.
6. Eye Contact: Write about two people seeing each other for the first time.
7. The Rocket-ship: Write about a rocket-ship on its way to the moon or a distant galaxy far, far, away.
8. Dream-catcher : Write something inspired by a recent dream you had.
9. Animals: Choose an animal. Write about it!
10. Friendship: Write about being friends with someone.
11. Dragon : Envision a dragon. Do you battle him? Or is the dragon friendly? Use descriptive language.
12. Greeting : Write a story or poem that starts with the word “hello” or another greeting.
13. The Letter: Write a poem or story using words from a famous letter or inspired by a letter someone sent you.
14. The Found Poem : Read a book and circle some words on a page. Use those words to craft a poem. Alternatively, you can cut out words and phrases from magazines.
15. Eavesdropper : Create a poem, short story, or journal entry about a conversation you’ve overheard.
16. Addict: Everyone’s addicted to something in some shape or form. What are things you can’t go without?
17. Dictionary Definition : Open up a dictionary to a random word. Define what that word means to you.
18. Cleaning: Hey, even writers and creative artists have to do housework sometimes. Write about doing laundry, dishes, and other cleaning activities.
19. Great Minds: Write about someone you admire and you thought to have had a beautiful mind.
20. Missed Connections: If you go to Craigslist, there is a “Missed Connections” section where you can find some interesting storylines to inspire your writing.
21. Foreclosure : Write a poem or short story about someone who has lost or is about to lose their home.
22. Smoke, Fog, and Haze: Write about not being able to see ahead of you.
23. Sugar: Write something so sweet, it makes your teeth hurt.
24. Numbers: Write a poem or journal entry about numbers that have special meaning to you.
25. Dread: Write about doing something you don’t want to do.
26. Fear: What scares you a little? What do you feel when scared? How do you react?
27. Closed Doors: What’s behind the door? Why is it closed?
28. Shadow: Imagine you are someone’s shadow for a day.
29. Good Vibes: What makes you smile? What makes you happy?
30. Shopping: Write about your shopping wishlist and how you like to spend money.
31. The Professor: Write about a teacher that has influenced you.
32. Rewrite : Take any poem or short story you enjoy. Rewrite it in your own words.
33. Jewelry: Write about a piece of jewelry. Who does it belong to?
34. Sounds : Sit outside for about an hour. Write down the sounds you hear.
35. War and Peace: Write about a recent conflict that you dealt with in your life.
36. Frame It: Write a poem or some phrases that would make for good wall art in your home.
37. Puzzle: Write about putting together the pieces of puzzles.
38. Fire-starters: Write about building a fire.
39. Coffee & Tea: Surely you drink one or the other or know someone who does- write about it!
40. Car Keys: Write about someone getting their driver’s license for the first time.
41. What You Don’t Know: Write about a secret you’ve kept from someone else or how you feel when you know someone is keeping a secret from you.
42. Warehouse : Write about being inside an old abandoned warehouse.
43. The Sound of Silence: Write about staying quiet when you feel like shouting.
44. Insult: Write about being insulted. How do you feel? Why do you think the other person insulted you?
45. Mirror, Mirror: What if you mirror started talking to you? What might the mirror say?
46. Dirty: Write a poem about getting covered in mud.
47. Light Switch : Write about coming out of the dark and seeing the light.
48. The Stars : Take inspiration from a night sky. Or, write about a time when “the stars aligned” in your horoscope.
49. Joke Poem : What did the wall say to the other wall? Meet you at the corner! Write something inspired by a favorite joke.
50. Just Say No : Write about the power you felt when you told someone no.
51: Sunrise/Sunset : The sun comes up, the sun goes down. It goes round and round. Write something inspiring about the sunrise or sunset.
52. Memory Lane : What does Memory Lane look like? How do you get there?
53. Tear-Jerker : Watch a movie that makes you cry. Write about that scene in the movie.
54. Dear Diary: Write a poem or short story about a diary entry you’ve read or imagined.
55. Holding Hands : The first time you held someone’s hand.
56. Photograph : Write a story or journal entry influenced by a photograph you see online or in a magazine.
57. Alarm Clock: Write about waking up.
58. Darkness: Write a poem or journal entry inspired by what you can’t see.
59. Refreshed: Write a poem about a time you really felt refreshed and renewed. Maybe it was a dip into a pool on a hot summer day, a drink of lemonade, or other situation that helped you relax and start again.
60. Handle With Care : Write about a very fragile or delicate object.
61. Drama: Write about a time when you got stuck in between two parties fighting with each other.
62. Slip Up: Write about making mistakes.
63. Spice: Write about flavors and tastes or a favorite spice of yours.
64. Sing a New Song: Take a popular song off the radio and rewrite it as a poem in your own words.
65. Telephone: Write about a phone call you recently received.
66. Name: Write a poem or short story using your name in some way or form.
67. Dollhouse: Write a poem or short story from the viewpoint of someone living in a doll house.
68. Random Wikipedia Article : Go to Wikipedia and click on Random Article . Write about whatever the page you get.
69. Silly Sports: Write about an extreme or silly sport. If none inspire you, make up the rules for your own game.
70. Recipe : Write about a recipe for something abstract, such as a feeling.
71. Famous Artwork: Choose a famous painting and write about it.
72. Where That Place Used to Be : Think of a place you went to when you were younger but it now no longer there or is something else. Capture your feelings about this in your writing.
73. Last Person You Talked to: Write a quick little poem or story about the last person you spoke with.
74. Caught Red-Handed: Write about being caught doing something embarrassing.
75. Interview: Write a list of questions you have for someone you would like to interview, real or fictional.
76. Missing You: Write about someone you miss dearly.
77. Geography: Pick a state or country you’ve never visited. Write about why you would or would not like to visit that place.
78. Random Song: Turn on the radio, use the shuffle feature on your music collection or your favorite streaming music service. Write something inspired by the first song you hear.
79. Hero: Write a tribute to someone you regard as a hero.
80. Ode to Strangers: Go people watching and write an ode to a stranger you see on the street.
81. Advertisement: Advertisements are everywhere, aren’t they? Write using the slogan or line from an ad.
82. Book Inspired: Think of your favorite book. Now write a poem that sums up the entire story in 10 lines.
83. Magic : Imagine you have a touch of magic, and can make impossible things happen. What would you do?
84. Fanciest Pen: Get out your favorite pen, pencils, or even colored markers and write using them!
85. A Day in the Life: Write about your daily habits and routine.
86. Your Muse: Write about your muse – what do they look like? What does your muse do to inspire you?
87. Convenience Store : Write about an experience you’ve had at a gas station or convenience store.
88. Natural Wonders of the World: Choose one of the natural wonders of the world. Write about it.
89. Status Update: Write a poem using the words from your latest status update or a friend’s status update. If you don’t use sites like Facebook or Twitter, you can often search online for some funny ones to use as inspiration.
90. Green Thumb: Write about growing something.
91. Family Heirloom: Write about an object that’s been passed through the generations in your family.
92. Bug Catcher: Write about insects.
93. Potion: Write about a magic potion. What is it made of? What does it do? What is the antidote?
94. Swinging & Sliding: Write something inspired by a playground or treehouse.
95. Adjectives: Make a list of the first 5 adjectives that pop into your head. Use these 5 words in your story, poem, or journal entry.
96. Fairy Tales: Rewrite a fairy tale. Give it a new ending or make it modern or write as a poem.
97. Whispers: Write about someone who has to whisper a secret to someone else.
98. Smile: Write a poem about the things that make you smile.
99. Seasonal: Write about your favorite season.
100. Normal: What does normal mean to you? Is it good or bad to be normal?
101. Recycle : Take something you’ve written in the past and rewrite it into a completely different piece.
102. Wardrobe: Write about a fashion model or what’s currently in your closet or drawers.
103. Secret Message : Write something with a secret message hidden in between the words. For example, you could make an acrostic poem using the last letters of the word or use secret code words in the poem.
104. Vacation: Write about a vacation you took.
105. Heat: Write about being overheated and sweltering.
106. Spellbinding: Write a magic spell.
107. Collection : Write about collecting something, such as salt shakers, sea shells, or stamps.
108. Taking Chances: Everyone takes a risk at some point in their life. Write about a time when you took a chance and what the result was.
109. Carnival: Write a poem or story or journal entry inspired by a carnival or street fair.
110. Country Mouse: Write about someone who grew up in the country visiting the city for the first time.
111: Questions: Write about questions you have for the universe. Optional: include an answer key.
112. Rushing: Write about moving quickly and doing things fast.
113. Staircase : Use a photo of a staircase or the stairs in your home or a building you love to inspire you.
114. Neighbors: Make up a story or poem about your next door neighbor.
115. Black and Blue: Write about a time you’ve been physically hurt.
116. All Saints: Choose a saint and create a poem about his or her life.
117. Beach Inspired: What’s not to write about the beach?
118. Shoes: What kind of shoes do you wear? Where do they lead your feet?
119. The Ex: Write a poem to someone who is estranged from you.
120. My Point of View: Write in the first person point of view.
121. Stray Animal: Think of the life of a stray cat or dog and write about that.
122. Stop and Stare : Create a poem or story about something you could watch forever.
123. Your Bed: Describe where you sleep each night.
124. Fireworks : Do they inspire you or do you not like the noise and commotion? Write about it.
125. Frozen: Write about a moment in your life you wish you could freeze and preserve.
126. Alone : Do you like to be alone or do you like having company?
127. Know-it-all: Write about something you are very knowledgeable about, for example a favorite hobby or passion of yours.
128. The Promise: Write about a promise you’ve made to someone. Did you keep that promise?
129. Commotion: Write about being overstimulated by a lot of chaos.
130. Read the News Today : Construct a poem or story using a news headline for your first line.
131. Macro: Write a description of an object close-up.
132. Transportation : Write about taking your favorite (or least-favorite) form of transportation.
133. Gadgets: If you could invent a gadget, what would it do? Are there any gadgets that make your life easier?
134: Bring on the Cheese: Write a tacky love poem that is so cheesy, it belongs on top of a pizza.
135. Ladders: Write a story or poem that uses ladders as a symbol.
136. Bizarre Holiday : There is a bizarre holiday for any date! Look up a holiday for today’s date and create a poem in greeting card fashion or write a short story about the holiday to celebrate.
137. Blog-o-sphere : Visit your favorite blog or your feedreader and craft a story, journal entry, or poem based on the latest blog post you read.
138. Mailbox: Create a poem, short story, or journal entry based on a recent item of mail you’ve received.
139. Sharing : Write about sharing something with someone else.
140. Cactus: Write from the viewpoint of a cactus. What’s it like to live in the desert or have a prickly personality?
141. It’s a Sign : Have you seen any interesting road signs lately?
142. Furniture: Write about a piece of furniture in your home.
143. Failure: Write about a time you failed at something. Did you try again or give up completely?
144. Mystical Creatures: Angels or other mystical creatures – use them as inspiration.
145. Flying: Write about having wings and what you would do.
146. Clear and Transparent: Write a poem about being able to see-through something.
147. Break the Silence : Record yourself speaking, then write down what you spoke and revise into a short story or poem.
148. Beat: Listen to music with a strong rhythm or listen to drum loops. Write something that goes along with the beat you feel and hear.
149. Color Palette: Search online for color palettes and be inspired to write by one you resonate with.
150. Magazine: Randomly flip to a page in a magazine and write using the first few words you see as an opening line.
151. The Grass is Greener : Write about switching the place with someone or going to where it seems the “grass is greener”.
152. Mind & Body: Write something that would motivate others to workout and exercise.
153. Shaping Up : Write something that makes a shape on the page…ie: a circle, a heart, a square, etc.
154. Twenty-One: Write about your 21st birthday.
155. Aromatherapy: Write about scents you just absolutely love.
156. Swish, Buzz, Pop : Create a poem that uses Onomatopoeia .
157. What Time is It? Write about the time of day it is right now. What are people doing? What do you usually do at this time each day?
158. Party Animal: Have you ever gone to a party you didn’t want to leave? Or do you hate parties? Write about it!
159: Miss Manners : Use the words “please” and “thank you” in your writing.
160. Cliche: Choose a common cliche, then write something that says the same thing but without using the catch phrase.
161. Eco-friendly : Write about going green or an environmental concern you have.
162. Missing You: Write about someone you miss.
163. Set it Free: Think of a time when you had to let someone or something go to be free…did they come back?
164: Left Out : Write about a time when you’ve felt left out or you’ve noticed someone else feeling as if they didn’t belong.
165. Suitcase: Write about packing for a trip or unpacking from when you arrive home.
166. Fantasy : Write about fairies, gnomes, elves, or other mythical creatures.
167. Give and Receive : Write about giving and receiving.
168. Baker’s Dozen: Imagine the scents and sights of a bakery and write.
169. Treehouse: Write about your own secret treehouse hideaway.
170. Risk: Write about taking a gamble on something.
171. Acrostic : Choose a word and write an acrostic poem where every line starts with a letter from the word.
172. Crossword Puzzle: Open up the newspaper or find a crossword puzzle online and choose one of the clues to use as inspiration for your writing.
173. Silver Lining : Write about the good that happens in a bad situation.
174. Gloves: Write about a pair of gloves – what kind of gloves are they? Who wears them and why?
175. All that Glitters: Write about a shiny object.
176. Jealousy: Write with a theme of envy and jealousy.
Want to Download these prompts? I am super excited to announce due to popular demand we now have an ad-free printable version of this list of writing prompts available for just $5. The printable version includes a PDF as a list AND print-ready prompt cards. {And all the design source files you could ever need to customize any way you would like!}
177. How Does Your Garden Grow? Write about a flower that grows in an unusual place.
178. Jury Duty : Write a short story or poem that takes place in a courtroom.
179. Gifts: Write about a gift you have given or received.
180. Running: Write about running away from someone or something.
181. Discovery: Think of something you’ve recently discovered and use it as inspiration.
182. Complain: Write about your complaints about something.
183. Gratitude: Write a poem or journal entry that is all about things you are thankful for.
184. Chemistry: Choose an element and write a poem or story that uses that word in one of the lines.
185. Applause: Write about giving someone a standing ovation.
186. Old Endings Into New Beginnings: Take an old poem, story, or journal entry of yours and use the last line and make it the first line of your writing today.
187. Longing: Write about something you very much want to do.
188. I Am: Write a motivational poem or journal entry about positive traits that make you who you are.
189. Rainbow : What is at the end of a rainbow? Or, take a cue from Kermit the Frog, and ask yourself, why are there so many songs about rainbows?
190. Museum: Take some time to visit a nearby museum with your journal. Write about one of the pieces that speaks to you.
191. Cartoon: Think of your favorite cartoon or comic. Write a poem or story that takes place in that setting.
192. Copycat: Borrow a line from a famous public domain poem to craft your own.
193. From the Roof-tops: Imagine you could stand on a rooftop and broadcast a message to everyone below – what would you say?
194. Time Travel: If there was a time period you could visit for a day, where would you go? Write about traveling back in time to that day.
195. Changing Places: Imagine living the day as someone else.
196. Neighborhood: Write about your favorite place in your neighborhood to visit and hang out at.
197. Pirates: Write about a pirate ship.
198. Interview : Write based on a recent interview you’ve read or seen on TV or heard on the radio.
199. Hiding Spaces : Write about places you like to hide things at. What was a favorite hiding spot for you as a child playing hide-and-seek?
200. Extreme Makeover: Imagine how life might be different if you could change your hair color or clothing into something completely opposite from your current style.
201. Empathy: Write about your feelings of empathy or compassion for another person.
202. Opposites: Write a poem or story that ties in together two opposites.
203. Boredom: Write about being bored or make a list of different ways to entertain yourself.
204. Strength : Think of a time when you’ve been physically or emotionally strong and use that as inspiration.
205. Hunger: Write from the perspective of someone with no money to buy food.
206. Greed: Write about someone who always wants more – whether it be money, power, etc. etc.
207. Volcano: Write about an eruption of a volcano.
208. Video Inspiration : Go to Vimeo.com or YouTube.com and watch one of the videos featured on the homepage. Write something based on what you watch.
209. Sneeze: Write about things that make you sneeze.
210. Footsteps on the Moon: Write about the possibility of life in outer-space.
211: Star-crossed: Write a short modern version of the story of Romeo and Juliet or think of real-life examples of lovers who are not allowed to be together to use as inspiration for your writing.
212. Font-tastic: Choose a unique font and type out a poem, story or journal entry using that font.
213. Schedule: Take a look at your calendar and use the schedule for inspiration in writing.
214. Grandparents: Write about a moment in your grandparent’s life.
215. Collage: Go through a magazine and cut out words that grab your attention. Use these words to construct a poem or as a story starter or inspiration for your journal.
216. Oh so Lonely: Write a poem about what you do when you are alone – do you feel lonely or do you enjoy your own company?
217. Waterfall: Think of a waterfall you’ve seen in person or spend some time browsing photos of waterfalls online. Write about the movement, flow, and energy.
218. First Kiss: Write about your first kiss.
219. So Ironic: Write about an ironic situation you’ve been in throughout your life.
220. Limerick: Write a limerick today.
221. Grocery Shopping: Write about an experience at the grocery store.
222. Fashion : Go through a fashion magazine or browse fashion websites online and write about a style you love.
223. So Close: Write about coming close to reaching a goal.
224. Drinks on Me: Write a poem or short story that takes place at a bar.
225. Online Friends: Write an ode to someone online you’ve met and become friends with.
226. Admiration: Is there someone you admire? Write about those feelings.
227. Trash Day: Write from the perspective of a garbage collector.
228. Mailbox: Open your mailbox and write something inspired by one of the pieces of mail you received.
229. Fresh & Clean: Write about how you feel after you take a shower.
230. Energized: Write about how you feel when you’re either at a high or low energy level for the day.
231. Rhyme & No Reason: Make up a silly rhyming poem using made up words.
232. Tech Support: Use computers or a conversation with tech support you’ve had as inspiration.
233. Hotel: Write from the perspective of someone who works at a hotel or staying at a hotel.
234. Underwater: Write about sea creatures and under water life. What’s under the surface of the ocean? What adventures might be waiting?
235. Breathing: Take a few minutes to do some deep breathing relaxation techniques. Once your mind is clear, just write the first few things that you think of.
236. Liar, Liar: Make up a poem or story of complete lies about yourself or someone else.
237. Obituaries: Look at the recent obituaries online or in the newspaper and imagine the life of someone and write about that person.
238. Pocket: Rummage through your pockets and write about what you keep or find in your pockets.
239. Cinquain: Write a cinquain poem, which consists of 5 lines that do not rhyme.
240. Alphabetical: Write a poem that has every letter of the alphabet in it.
241. Comedy Club: Write something inspired by a comedian.
242. Cheater: Write about someone who is unfaithful.
243. Sestina: Give a try to writing a sestina poem.
244. Fight: Write about witnessing two people get in an argument with each other.
245. Social Network : Visit your favorite Social Networking website (ie: Facebook, Pinterest, Google, Twitter, etc.) and write a about a post you see there.
246. Peaceful: Write about something peaceful and serene.
247. In the Clouds: Go cloud watching for the day and write about what you imagine in the clouds.
248. At the Park: Take some time to sit on a park bench and write about the sights, scenes, and senses and emotions you experience.
249. Sonnet: Write a sonnet today.
250. Should, Would, And Could: Write a poem or story using the words should, would, and could.
251. How to: Write directions on how to do something.
252. Alliteration: Use alliteration in your poem or in a sentence in a story.
253. Poker Face: Write about playing a card game.
254. Timer: Set a timer for 5 minutes and just write. Don’t worry about it making sense or being perfect.
255. Dance: Write about a dancer or a time you remember dancing.
256. Write for a Cause: Write a poem or essay that raises awareness for a cause you support.
257. Magic : Write about a magician or magic trick.
258. Out of the Box: Imagine finding a box. Write about opening it and what’s inside.
259. Under the Influence: What is something has impacted you positively in your life?
260. Forgotten Toy : Write from the perspective a forgotten or lost toy.
261. Rocks and Gems: Write about a rock or gemstone meaning.
262. Remote Control: Imagine you can fast forward and rewind your life with a remote control.
263. Symbolism: Think of objects, animals, etc. that have symbolic meaning to you. Write about it.
264. Light at the End of the Tunnel: Write about a time when you saw hope when it seemed like a hopeless situation.
265. Smoke and Fire : “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Use this saying as inspiration to write!
266. Railroad: Write about a train and its cargo or passengers.
267. Clipboard: Write about words you imagine on an office clipboard.
268. Shipwrecked: Write about being stranded somewhere – an island, a bus stop, etc.
269. Quotable: Use a popular quote from a speaker and use it as inspiration for your writing.
270. Mind Map it Out: Create a mind map of words, phrases, and ideas that pop into your head or spend some time browsing the many mind maps online. Write a poem, story, or journal entry inspired by the mind map.
271. Patterns : Write about repeating patterns that occur in life.
272. Scrapbook : Write about finding a scrapbook and the memories it contains.
273. Cure: Write about finding a cure for an illness.
274. Email Subject Lines: Read your email today and look for subject lines that may be good starters for writing inspiration.
275. Wishful Thinking: Write about a wish you have.
276. Doodle : Spend some time today doodling for about 5-10 minutes. Write about the thoughts you had while doodling or create something inspired by your finished doodle.
277. Chalkboard: Imagine you are in a classroom. What does it say on the chalkboard?
278. Sticky: Imagine a situation that’s very sticky, maybe even covered in maple syrup, tape or glue. Write about it!
279. Flashlight : Imagine going somewhere very dark with only a flashlight to guide you.
280. A Far Away Place : Envision yourself traveling to a fictional place, what do you experience in your imaginary journey?
281. On the Farm : Write about being in a country or rural setting.
282. Promise to Yourself: Write about a promise you want to make to yourself and keep.
283. Brick Wall : Write a poem that is about a brick wall – whether literal or figurative.
284. Making a Choice: Write about a time when you had to make a difficult choice.
285. Repeat: Write about a time when you’ve had to repeat yourself or a time when it felt like no one was listening.
286. Outcast : Write about someone who is not accepted by their peers. (for example, the Ugly Ducking)
287. Scary Monsters: Write about a scary (or not-so-scary) monster in your closet or under the bed.
288. Sacrifice: Write about something you’ve sacrificed doing to do something else or help another person.
289. Imperfection: Create a poem that highlights the beauty in being flawed.
290. Birthday Poem: Write a poem inspired by birthdays.
291. Title First : Make a list of potential poem or story titles and choose one to write from.
292. Job Interview : Write about going on a job interview.
293. Get Well : Write a poem that will help someone who is sick feel better quick!
294. Lost in the Crowd: Write about feeling lost in the crowd.
295. Apple a Day: Write about a health topic that interests you.
296. Cravings: Write about craving something.
297. Phobia: Research some common phobias, choose one, and write about it.
298. In the Moment: Write about living in the present moment.
299. Concrete : Write about walking down a sidewalk and what you see and experience.
300. Battle: Write about an epic battle, whether real, fictional or figurative.
301. This Old House : Write about an old house that is abandoned or being renovated.
302. Clutter: Is there a cluttered spot in your home? Go through some of that clutter today and write about what you find or the process of organizing.
303. Go Fly a Kite: Write about flying a kite.
304. On the TV: Flip to a random TV channel and write about the first thing that comes on – even if it is an infomercial!
305. Fruit: Write an ode to your favorite fruit.
306. Long Distance Love: Write about a couple that is separated by distance.
307. Glasses: Write about a pair of eyeglasses or someone wearing glasses.
308. Robotic : Write about a robot.
309. Cute as a Button: Write about something you think is just adorable.
310. Movie Conversation: Use a memorable conversation from a favorite movie to inspire your writing.
311. Easy-Peasy : Write about doing something effortlessly.
312. Idiom: Choose from a list of idioms one that speaks to you and create a poem around that saying or phrase. (Ie: It is raining cats and dogs)
313. Playground: Whether it is the swings or the sandbox or the sliding boards, write about your memories of being on a playground.
314. Romance: Write about romantic things partners can do for each other.
315. Rock Star: Imagine you are a famous rock star. Write about the experience.
316. Come to Life: Imagine ordinary objects have come to life. Write about what they do and say.
317. Airplane: Write about meeting someone on an airplane and a conversation you might have.
318. Health & Beauty: Take some time to peruse your medicine cabinet or the health and beauty aisles at a local store. Write a poem, short story, or journal entry inspired by a product label.
319. Determination: Write about not giving up.
320. Instrumental Inspiration: Listen to some instrumental music and write a poem that matches the mood, beat, and style of the music.
321. Wait Your Turn: Write about having to wait in line.
322. Personality Type : Do you know your personality type? (There are many free quizzes online) – write about what type of personality traits you have.
323. Decade: Choose a favorite decade and write about it. (IE: 1980’s or 1950’s for example)
324. I Believe: Write your personal credo of things you believe in.
325. Lost and Found: Write about a lost object.
326. Say it: Write a poem or story that uses dialogue between two people.
327. The Unsent Letter: Write about a letter that never made it to its recipient.
328. The Windows of the Soul: Write a poem about the story that is told through someone’s eyes.
329. Trial and Error: Write about something you learned the hard way.
330. Escape : Write about where you like to go to escape from it all.
331. What’s Cooking: Write something inspired a favorite food or recipe.
332. Records : Go through your file box and pull out old receipts or records…write something inspired by what you find!
333. Banking: Write about visiting the bank.
334. Sweet Talk: Write about trying to convince someone of something.
335. Serendipity: Write about something that happened by chance in a positive way.
336. Distractions: Write about how it feels when you can’t focus.
337. Corporation: Write about big business.
338. Word of the Day: Go to a dictionary website that has a word of the day and use it in a poem, story or journal entry you write.
339. Pick Me Up: What do you do when you need a pick me up?
340. Unfinished: Write about a project you started but never completed.
341. Forgiveness: Write about a time when someone forgave you or you forgave someone.
342. Weakness: Write about your greatest weakness.
343. Starting: Write about starting a project.
344. Mechanical: Think of gears, moving parts, machines.
345. Random Act of Kindness : Write about a random act of kindness you’ve done for someone or someone has done for you, no matter how small or insignificant it may have seemed.
346. Underground: Imagine living in a home underground and use that as inspiration for writing.
347. Classic Rock: Pick a classic rock love ballad and rewrite it into a story or poem with a similar theme.
348. Night Owl : Write about staying up late at night.
349. Magnetic : Write about attraction to something or someone.
350. Teamwork: Write about working with a team towards a common goal.
351. Roller-coaster : Write about the ups and downs in life.
352. Motivational Poster: Look at some motivational posters online and write a poem or journal entry inspired by your favorite one.
353. Games: Write about the games people play – figuratively or literally.
354. Turning Point: Write about a point in life where things turned for the better or worse.
355. Spellbound: Write about a witch’s spell.
356. Anniversary: Write about the anniversary of a special date.
357. Gamble: Be inspired by a casino or lottery ticket.
358. Picnic: Write about going on a picnic.
359. Garage: Write about some random item you might find in a garage.
360. Review: Review your week, month, or year in a journal entry or poem format.
361. Detective: Write about a detective searching for clues or solving a mystery.
362. Camera: Take your camera for a walk and write based on one of the photographs you take.
363. Visiting : Write about visiting a family member or friend.
364. Trust: Write about putting trust in someone.
365. Congratulations : Did you write a poem, short story, or journal entry every day for a whole year? Write about what you’ve learned and celebrate your achievement!
We hope you enjoy these creative writing prompts! And of course, if you write anything using these prompts, we’d love to know about it! Tell us how you’ll use these everyday creative writing prompts in the comments section below!
And of course, if you’d like the printable ad-free version of these prompts to reference again and again or to use in your classroom, you can find them at our Etsy shop !
Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.
Have you ever heard these questions or statements from your students?
If so, you won’t want to miss these creative writing activities.
Activities that teach creative writing serve as drills to exercise your student’s writing muscle. When used effectively, they help reluctant writers get past that intimidating blank paper and encourage the words to flow.
When I think of creative writing exercises , writing prompts immediately come to mind. And, yes, writing from a prompt is certainly an example of a creative writing activity (a highly effective one).
However, writing prompts are only one way to teach creative writing. Other types of activities include games, collaboration with others, sensory activities, and comic strip creation to name a few.
Unlike writing assignments, creative writing activities aren’t necessarily meant to create a perfectly polished finished project.
Instead, they serve as more of a warmup and imagination boost.
Picture-based writing exercises are especially fun. You can download one for free below!
How to use creative writing exercises effectively.
When teaching creative writing , the most effective exercises inspire and engage the student.
Remember that worn-out prompt your teacher probably hauled out every year?
“What I Did This Summer…”
Cue the groaning.
Instead of presenting your student with lackluster topics like that one, let’s talk about ways to engage and excite them.
Early writers tend to possess misconceptions about writing. Many picture sitting down for hours straight, polishing a story from beginning to end.
Even for experienced writers, this is next-to-impossible to do. It’s preconceived ideas like these that overwhelm and discourage students before they’ve even started.
Instead of assigning an essay to complete, start with simple, short writing exercises for elementary students such as:
Creative writing exercises don’t have to end in a finished piece of work. If the exercise encouraged creative thinking and helped the student put pen to paper, it’s done its job.
Creative writing activities for middle school can be a little more inventive. They now have the fundamental reading and writing skills to wield their words properly.
Here are some ideas for middle school writing exercises you can try at home:
Your high school student may be starting to prepare for college essays and other important creative writing assignments.
It’s more critical than ever for her to exercise her writing skills on a regular basis.
One great way to keep your high schooler’s mind thinking creatively is to have her make “listicles” of tips or facts about something she’s interested in already.
Another fun and effective creative writing exercise for high school is to have your student retell classic stories with a twist.
No matter what age range your students may be, I think you’ll find something that suits their personality and interests in this list of creative writing ideas. Enjoy!
One of the best ways to encourage students to write regularly is by providing fun creative writing activities .
They serve to encourage both the habit and mindset of writing with imagination. If you need extra help with that, check out Creative Freewriting Adventure :
About the author.
Good question.
Creative writing exercises are designed to teach a technique. They are highly specific, more specific than creative writing prompts, and much more specific than story generators.
Creative writing exercises for adults are not designed to lead the writer into crafting a full story, but are only designed to help them improve as a writer in a narrow, specific category of writing skills.
I’ve broken the exercises below into categories so you can choose what category of skill you’d like to practice. Can you guess which category in this list has the most prompts?
If you guessed characters, then you’re right. I think characters are the heart blood of every story, and that a majority of any writing prompts or writing exercises should focus on them.
But I also think any of these will help you create a narrative, and a plot, and help you generate all kinds of dialogue, whether for short stories or for novels. These writing exercises are pretty much guaranteed to improve your writing and eliminate writer’s block.
Also, if you’re a fledgling writer who needs help writing their novel, check out my comprehensive guide to novel writing.
Enjoy the five categories of writing exercises below, and happy writing!
1. Think of the most deafening sound you can imagine. Describe it in great detail, and have your character hear it for the first time at the start of a story.
2. Have a man cooking for a woman on a third date, and have her describe the aromas in such loving and extended detail that she realizes that she’s in love with him.
3. Pick a line from one of your favorite songs, and identify the main emotion. Now write a character who is feeling that emotion and hears the song. Try to describe the type of music in such a beautiful way that you will make the reader yearn to hear the song as well.
4. Have a character dine at a blind restaurant, a restaurant in pitch blackness where all the servers are blind, and describe for a full paragraph how the tablecloth, their clothing, and the hand of their dining partner feels different in the darkness.
5. Select a dish representative of a national cuisine, and have a character describe it in such detail that the reader salivates and the personality of the character is revealed.
7. Describe two characters having a wordless conversation, communicating only through gestures. Try to see how long you can keep the conversation going without any words spoken, but end it with one of them saying a single word, and the other one repeating the same word.
8. In a public place from the last vacation you took, have two characters arguing, but make it clear by the end of the argument that they’re not arguing about what they’re really upset about.
9. Write a scene composed mostly of dialogue with a child talking to a stranger. Your mission is to show the child as heartbreakingly cute. At the same time, avoid sentimentality.
10. Have two character have a conversation with only a single word, creating emphasis and context so that the word communicates different things each time it is spoken. The prime example of this is in the television show “The Wire,” where Jimmy and Bunk investigate a crime scene repeating only a single expletive.
11. Pick an object that is ugly, and create a character who finds it very beautiful. Have the character describe the object in a way that convinces the reader of its beauty. Now write a second version where you convince the reader (through describing the object alone) that the character is mentally unstable.
12. Write down five emotions on slips of paper and slip them into a hat. Now go outside and find a tree. Draw one emotion from the hat, and try to describe that tree from the perspective of a character feeling that emotion. (Don’t mention the emotion in your writing — try to describe the tree so the reader could guess the emotion).
13. Describe a character’s bedroom in such a way that it tells us about a person’s greatest fears and hopes.
14. Root through your desk drawer until you find a strange object, an object that would probably not be in other people’s drawers. Have a character who is devastated to find this object, and tell the story of why this object devastates them.
15. Go to an art-based Pinterest page and find your favorite piece of art. Now imagine a living room inspired by that flavor of artwork, and show the room after a husband and wife have had the worst fight of their marriage.
16. Pick a simple object like a vase, a broom, or a light bulb, and write a scene that makes the reader cry when they see the object.
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17. Make a list of the top five fears in your life. Write a character who is forced to confront one of those fears.
18. Write an entire page describing the exact emotions when you learned of a happy or calamitous event in your life. Now try to condense that page into a single searing sentence.
19. Think about a time in your life when you felt shame. Now write a character in a similar situation, trying to make it even more shameful.
20. Write a paragraph with a character struggle with two conflicting emotions simultaneously. For example, a character who learns of his father’s death and feels both satisfaction and pain.
21. Write a paragraph where a character starts in one emotional register, and through a process of thought, completely evolves into a different emotion.
22. Create a minor character based upon someone you dislike. Now have your main character encounter them and feel sympathy and empathy for them despite their faults.
23. Have a kooky character tell a story inside a pre-established form: an instruction manual, traffic update, email exchange, weather report, text message.
24. Write about a character who does something they swore they would never do.
25. Have a character who has memorized something (the names of positions in the Kama Sutra, the entire book of Revelations) recite it while doing something completely at odds with what they’re reciting. For instance, bench pressing while reciting the emperors in a Chinese dynasty.
26. Write a paragraph where a character does a simple action, like turning on a light switch, and make the reader marvel at how strange and odd it truly is.
27. Have a couple fight while playing a board game. Have the fight be about something related to the board game: fighting about money, have them play monopoly. Fighting about politics, let them play chess.
28. Write about two characters angry at each other, but have both of them pretend the problems don’t exist. Instead, have them fight passive-aggressively, through small, snide comments.
29. Describe a character walking across an expanse field or lot and describe how he walks. The reader should perfectly understand his personality simply by the way you describe his walk.
30. Write a first-person POV of a character under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and try to make the prose as woozy and tipsy as the character.
31. Describe the first time that a character realizes he is not as smart as he thought.
32. Describe an hour in the life of a character who has recently lost their ability to do what they love most (a pianist who has severe arthritis; a runner who became a quadriplegic).
33. Write an argument where a husband or wife complains of a physical ailment, but their spouse refuses to believe it’s real.
34. Write a scene where a stranger stops your main character, saying that they know them, and insisting your main character is someone they are not. Describe exactly how this case of mistaken identity makes your character feel.
35. Describe a small personality trait about a person you love, and make the reader love them, too.
36. Write a personality-revealing scene with a character inside a public restroom. Do they press a thumb against the mirror to leave a subtle mark? Do they write a plea for help on the inside of the stall door? Do they brag about the size of what they’ve just dumped off?
37. Give your character an extremely unusual response to a national tragedy like a terrorist attack or natural disaster. Maybe have them be aware their response is unusual, and try to cloak it from others, or have them be completely unaware and display it without any self-consciousness.
38. Have one of your main characters come up with an idea for a comic book, and tell a close friend about the idea. What about this idea would surprise the friend, upsetting what he thought he knew about your main character? Also, what would the main character learn about himself from the comic book idea?
39. Think of an illness someone you love has suffered from. How does your character respond when someone close to them has this illness?
40. Have your main character invent an extremely offensive idea for a book, and show their personality faults through discussing it with others.
41. Have your character write down a list considering how to respond to their stalker.
42. Write a scene where a man hits on a woman, and although the woman acts repulsed and begs her friends to get him away from her, it becomes apparent that she likes the attention.
43. Write about a 20-something confronting his parents over their disapproval of his lifestyle.
44. Have your character write a funny to-do list about the steps to get a boyfriend or girlfriend.
45. Have a risk-adverse character stuck in a hostage situation with a risk-happy character.
46. For the next week, watch strangers carefully and take notes in your phone about any peculiar gestures or body language. Combine the three most interesting ones to describe a character as she goes grocery shopping.
47. Buy a package of the pills that expand into foam animals, and put a random one in a glass of warm water. Whatever it turns out to be, have that animal surprise your main character in a scene.
48. Have your character faced with a decision witness a rare, awe-inspiring event, and describe how it helps them make their decision.
49. Imagine if your character met for the first time his or her long-lost identical twin. What personality traits would they share and which ones would have changed because of their unique experiences?
50. If a character got burned by a hot pan, what type of strange reaction would they have that would reveal what they value most?
Once you’ve taken a stab at some of these exercises, I’d recommend you use them in your actual writing.
And for instruction on that, you need a guide to writing your novel .
That link will change your life and your novel. Click it now.
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John Fox, you have some excellent resources, and I thank you. I read your comments, then scrolled down to glance at the list of 50 exercises. The FIRST one, “loud noise’ is already in my head. My Hero is going to be side swiped in my Cozy. I was side swiped on a state highway here in Virginia a couple of weeks ago and, although the damage was minor, the sound of that big SUV “glancing” off my little car was SCARY!!! I once heard a fast-moving car REAR-END is stand-still car; that sound was something I’ll never forget. So, your exercise is very timely. THANK YOU!!!
This is a great list! Thanks!
You know what would be motivating? If we could turn these in to someone and get like a grade lol
I’ve been thinking a lot about “how to master writing,” and this is the first time that I found an article that makes it clear the difference between prompts and exercises. I fully agree with you. These are bound to make you a better writer if you focus on doing a variation of them daily.
An excellent list – thank you very much. I run a small writing group and we’ll be trying some.
Yes, thank you. I too run a small writing group and you got me out of a slump for tomorrow’s group!
yes,thank you . It’s good for improve your writing skills.
What a lovely list! I am working on the final draft of my very first novel, and am constantly working at improving the final product. Your exercises are just what I need to kickstart my writing day. Thank you so very much.
Thank you very much When I turned50 I received my diploma from Children’s Institute in West Redding Ct I got my inspiration from being near water however now that I am in Oregon I have had a writing block thanks to your list my creative juices are flowing
I suppose I better have good punctuation, seeing this is about Writing. Thank you for this great list. I am the Chair of our small Writing group in Otorohanga and we start again last week of Feb. I have sent out a homework email, to write a A4 page of something exciting that has happened over the holiday break and they must read it out to the group with passion and excitement in their voices. That will get them out of their comfort zone!
A formidable yet inspiring list. Thank you very much for this. This is really very helpful. I am from India, and very new to writing and have started my first project, which I want to make it into a Novel. This has been very helpful and is very challenging too. Prompts look sissy when compared to this, frankly speaking. Thank you very much again.
Where can I get the answers for these?
There aren’t “answers.” You create responses to these exercises.
Thank you so much for the detailed suggestions focusing on HOW to put the WHAT into practice; really helpful & inspiring.
Just started rough drafting a story I’ve always wanted to write. Do you have any advice for someone writing their first real story? I’m having trouble starting it; I just want it to be perfect.
I consider this very helpful. Just started my journey as a creative writer, and will be coming back to this page to aid my daily writing goal.
I have always loved writing exercises and these are perfect practice for my competition. I have tried lots of different things that other websites have told me to try, but this by far is the most descriptive and helpful site that i have seen so far.
This is really a creative blog. An expert writer is an amateur who didn’t stop. I trust myself that a decent writer doesn’t actually should be advised anything but to keep at it. Keep it up!
I’ve always enjoyed writing from a little girl. Since I’ve been taking it a bit more seriously as does everybody else it seems; I’ve lost the fun and sponteneity. Until now…..this is a marvelous blog to get back the basic joy and freedom in writing. Or should that be of?:) These exercises are perfect to get the creative juices flowing again…..thank you:)
These are interesting exercises for writing.
These are fantastic! I started reading a really awesome book on creative writing but it just didn’t get any good or easy to follow exercises. So I found your site and having been having a lot of fun with these. Exactly what I was looking for, thank you!
creative and inspiring, thank you
I always wanted to have an exercise where a friend and I each wrote a random sentence and sent it to each other to write a short story from that beginning sentence, then exchange the stories for reading and/or critique. Maybe both writers start with the same sentence and see how different the stories turn out.
Thanks for these exercises. Some are really challenging. To truly tackle them I’m having to spend as long beforehand thinking “how the HECK am I going to do this?” as I do with ink on paper. Would be a great resource if other authors submitted their replies and thoughts about how they went about each exercise.
Start the conversation: submit one of yours.
I think I can use these to inspire my students.
Hi there. Thank you for posting this list- it’s great! Can I ask you to consider removing number 42 or perhaps changing it somewhat? I teach sex ed and every year am shocked by how many young people don’t understand issues around consent. Stories about woman who ‘say no but really mean yes’ are deeply unhelpful. Really appreciate your post but felt I had to ask. Thanks.
What’s wrong with the number 42?
It promulgates the belief that when a woman says no, she doesn’t mean it, potentially resulting in sexual assault.
I just make this list a part of my teaching in Creative Writing Classes. Very good list of ideas!
Thank you so much for posting this! I have used it to create a creative playwriting activity for my high school creative writing class–so much good stuff here for me to pick through and select for my kiddos that will allow them to shine and improve their knowledge of writing as a craft!
These exercises are amazing! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Every writer NEEDS this book.
It’s a guide to writing the pivotal moments of your novel.
Whether writing your book or revising it, this will be the most helpful book you’ll ever buy.
Tools to Help You Teach Middle School ELA
Need to engage your students? Whether you are teaching a creative writing class or a traditional one, here are fun, quick writing activities you can use to any time to get your reluctant writers — writing!
They are great when:
It’s great to have quick, fun creative writing exercises and lesson plans to turn to when you have extra class time to fill.
If students don’t finish, have them hold onto them for another day. There always seems to be a pocket of time you need to fill — and these quick creative writing prompts are perfect! No printed worksheets necessary!
If you haven’t taught them, here is how they work:
Reasons to love this little lesson:
Adjustments you might want to make:
Once your students do this, they will beg you to write pass-back stories, but I wouldn’t recommend using them more that a few times in a school year. That keeps them fresh and exciting!
If you haven’t taught it, here’s how it works:
Adjustments you may want to make:
How it works:
Students love learning about the oddball holidays that are so popular (you can find them in my “What to teach this month” posts ).
How to do this:
You can find 22 story starters in my store!
How to use them:
Reasons to love these:
Once your students are warmed up, give them the opportunity to really stretch their writing skills by crafting a short story.
This story writing activity will take your students through the entire writing process. You can find this one and other school writing activities in my shop .
Creative writing activities can challenge and stretch your students — give one of these a try!
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Make writing less boring with these 12 fun creative writing activities for kids.
When most children think of writing, they think of lined paper with thousands of words written on it, line by line with the occasional spacing for paragraphs. But writing doesn’t need to be that boring and gloomy. Today we bring you12 creative writing activities to make writing fun and colourful!
It is important to show your kids that there’s more to writing than just homework and long essays. Writing can be fun and it doesn’t always involve writing thousands of words in a formal structure. It’s time to stop worrying about sentence structure, grammar and spelling mistakes. Instead, encourage your kids to explore their creativity and write down their thoughts as they come in any format they like. Here are 12 fun creative writing activities that will boost your child’s creativity, imagination and encourage them to write for fun.
Use story maps.
Story maps are a great way to unleash your child’s imagination. You can either create your own or print out one of these free story map templates . To create your own story map, you’ll first need a location. This could be anywhere, a planet , an island , the woods or even your hometown. Don’t worry, you don’t actually need to leave your home to enjoy this activity.
Next draw out a simple map of the location. The map must have a starting point and an endpoint. Here is an example of our treasure island story map:
You can see that we marked the starting point with a star. And the end point with a red cross. Once this is done, you need to put loads of obstacles, challenges and interesting things on the map for your child to explore and engage with in their imagination. This could be a giant octopus monster, a lava lake, a cunning princess or even some secret symbols or lettering.
Once you have completed creating your action-packed story map (or printed out one of our free templates) – It’s time for the real adventure to begin. Give the map to your child and together you can pretend that you have landed in a whole new location.
Start from your bedroom (or your imaginary pirate ship) and make your way through the obstacles to find the secret treasure located in a mysterious cave (or the shed in your backyard). As you go through the map, think about the characters you might encounter, items you might find and even challenges you could face.
After your little adventure, your child will be inspired and ready to write about the adventure they just experienced! Go ahead and check out these free story map templates to get you started:
Puppets and toys are a great way to stimulate imaginative play. In particular, creating your own paper finger puppets is a brilliant creative activity to boost your child’s imagination and make story-telling more fun. When creating your own finger puppets, your child can create any character they like. If they love football , try creating some famous football players, and if they love Harry Potter , get them to create some wizard themed characters. Whatever your child’s interest, combine it with story-telling, and make storytime extra fun.
To get you started, you can download our free paper finger puppet templates by signing up to Imagine Forest:
Create your own paper characters, props and background. Then let the role-playing begin!
Kids love playing games. The Would You Rather game is a great way to boost logical thinking and communication skills. Print out our free Would You Rather game cards pack, to get a mix of funny, gross and Disney themed questions. Then get at least three players in a team to begin the game. The purpose of the game is to convince the whole team that your answer to the question is the best one and to get other players to agree with you. This game is guaranteed to get your kids laughing and thinking logically about the answers they pick.
Another brilliant creative writing activity is the Telephone Pictionary Game . The basic idea behind this game is to write a story collaboratively with your team using drawings and phrases. Together as team members take turns to write/draw something down. They’ll be improving skills such as creativity, teamwork and communication skills. And when the game is over, they’ll have a really funny story to read!
Poetry is a quick and short writing activity to get kids engaged in creative writing. But writing a typical haiku or limerick can get boring over time. To add a little more excitement gets your kids to write poems in the shape of something. For example, your child could write a poem about cats , in the shape of a cat:
Not only are these poems great to read, but they also make wonderful pieces of artwork. For more inspirations, check out our Alice in Wonderland inspired shape poetry .
The finish the story game is the simplest creative writing activity in our list. In a team of at least 2 players, each player takes turns completing a story. Start off with a random story starter and then each player takes turns to continue this story. Which way will the story go? No-one knows. And that’s the real beauty of this game. Let your child explore their imagination and come up with wild ideas to keep the story interesting. And by the end of the game, you’ll have a really unique and funny story to read.
Image prompts are a great source of inspiration. And can be used in a number of ways to encourage your child to write. For instance, you can ask your child to write a quick snappy slogan for a random image or photograph. Alternatively, you could play a whole game centred around a single image, such as the Round Robin Tournament game explained in our post on storytelling games using image prompts .
Inspiration is key in making writing fun for kids. That’s where story cubes come in handy. You either buy ready-made story cubes or make your own story cubes at home. If you’re interested in making your own story cubes, check out these 9 free story cube templates for ideas. Once you have a bunch of story cubes, you can simply roll them like dice and then challenge your kids to write a story based on the images they get. For game ideas using story cubes, check out this post on how to use story cubes .
If your kids hate writing but love drawing, then comic strips are a great creative activity to sneak in some minor writing with huge levels of imagination. Pick a topic, any topic you like. This could be related to your child’s interest and then ask them to create a short comic strip about that topic. For example, if you child loves dinosaurs, ask them to create their own comic strip about dinosaurs. For more inspiration and ideas, check out this post on how to create your own comic strip and comic books at home.
Another fun way to get your kids to write more is by creating your own pop-book books. Pop-up books seem really complicated to create, but in reality, they are really easy to make at home. All you need is some paper, scissors and glue. Check out this super easy tutorial on how to create your own pop-book at home for quick step-by-step instructions. Similar to comic strips, pop-up books are a great way of combining drawing with writing to get your kids writing more in a quick and fun way.
Turn your child’s story into a real book! You can buy blank books from Amazon or create your own mini paper book, using this easy mini notebook tutorial . With this tutorial you can create a fully customisable book, with your own cover, back page and you can even draw your own illustrations inside! This is a really fun and cute way to gets your kids writing in their spare time.
Forgot ordinary boring letters! Check out our Paper craft animal envelopes to encourage your kids to write letters to their friends, family, heroes, aliens, anyone they like! Inside the child can write any message they like, such as “how were your holidays…” or “We’re having a party this weekend…” And on the outside they can create any animal or creature they like as envelopes.
Ask your child to draw their own monster or character and describe it. – What are its strengths, and weaknesses, where does it live, what does it like doing and so on? This creative writing activity is quick, simple and full of imagination! And you could even take this a step further by creating your own monster flip books !
Use story starters to inspire reluctant writers. These can be simple sentences, such as “It was Timmy’s first day at school and he was excited…” and your child can continue writing the rest of the story. Or you could use photos and your child’s drawings to inspire story-writing by asking the child to describe what’s happening in this image. Take a look at this post on 60+ first-line prompts to inspire you or you could view our mega list of over 300 writing prompts for kids .
Get your child to create their own Christmas cards , greeting cards or get well cards to send to someone they know. They can write their own personal message inside and draw a picture on the outside. Quick activities like this are a great way to sneak in some writing with some arts and crafts.
Ask your child to write their own newspaper article or create their own newspaper about the daily events that happen at home or at school. Remember the use of the 5 W’s and 1 H when writing newspaper articles. Our newspaper challenge online activity is great for creating fun newspaper articles.
Get the kids involved in the weekly grocery shopping! Ask them to write the shopping list with drawings. If the grocery shopping list is too boring, then get them to create a wish list of items they dream of owning or even a list of goals they want to accomplish. You can buy some really pretty shopping list pads from Amazon , which could be a great way to encourage your kids to get writing!
Fairytales have been around for centuries and by now they need a modern twist. Challenge your child to update an old classic. And you could even use this free ‘Retell a fairy tale pack ’ to help you. Re-telling a fairytale is a lot easier than creating a whole new one – Simply ask your child to change one or two key elements in the story and see how it changes the entire fairytale. For example, what if Cinderella was the villain? Alternatively, you could go wacky and add a whole new character to a classic fairytale, such as Spiderman making an appearance in Jack and the Beanstalk. The possibilities really are endless!
Ask your child to write their own short movie script, they can create a cast list and give all the different characters different things to say. You can find a free script and cast list template here ! Think about the conversation between the characters, what problems would they encounter, who is the villain in this story? We also think these free finger puppets printable could be great for story-telling.
Ask your child to keep a simple hand-written blog about their hobbies and interests. This can be done in a journal or notebook. Ask them the following questions: What do they like doing in their spare time and why do they enjoy this. Maybe ask them to provide instructions on how someone else can also be good at this hobby. They can update their hand-written blog everyday with new tips and interesting pieces of information on their hobby.
Create a ‘Wanted’ poster for famous villains in storybooks, such as Miss Trunchbull from Matilda or Cinderella’s Stepmother. You can find a free blank template here . Alternatively try out the Most Wanted online activity on Imagine Forest, to create your own wanted posters online:
Writing a whole story down can be cumbersome. That’s why storyboarding can make a really good creative writing activity. Instead of asking a child to write a whole story down, get them to think about the key events in the story and plan it out using a storyboard template . Planning their story out beforehand could even encourage your child to write a complete story down afterwards. The first step is always planning out what you are going to write, and this could give your child the confidence to keep going.
Know anymore fun writing activities for kids? Tell us your ideas below.
Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.
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Written by Maria Kampen
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Creative writing activities, academic writing activities, at-home writing activities, daily writing activities, simple writing prompts for kids.
When kids start writing, they’re unlocking a whole new world of imagination to explore. It’s a great way for them to be creative, express themselves and practice key reading and writing skills.
But as most kids — and adults — will tell you, writing is hard! It can be intimidating to put pen to paper for the first time, and sometimes the challenge of a blank page seems like too much to overcome.
Writing shouldn’t be scary for kids. These 22 fun writing activities can help them:
Use them in your classroom or at home to get kids excited about writing!
Writing is supposed to be fun! Use these activities to help kids stretch their imagination and record their thoughts on paper in a fun, low-stress environment.
Great for: Grades 1 to 6
Online games are a great way to engage students in the learning process — and Prodigy English is bringing the power of game-based learning to language and reading skill practice!
As students build and create, they’re always practicing key reading and language skills that help them write clearly and effectively. Every correct answer gives players more energy to gather resources, complete daily tasks and earn Wishcoins.
Plus, you can send questions about the topics you want them to practice and collect insights about their learning.
Great for: Middle and high school students
Words are all around us, so encourage your students to take inspiration from the real-life writing they see every day. Have students collect printed words and phrases from the world around them, including:
Students can collect and arrange their words on a piece of paper to make a unique piece of poetry. Encourage them to find a key idea and expand on it in creative ways, then have students share their work with the class.
Great for: Grades 4 to 10
Students learn in all sorts of ways. For visual learners, creating a comic strip to accompany their story can help them express themselves in a visual medium.
Give students a set number of panels and challenge them to come up with a quick story — just a few sentences. Then, they can illustrate their scene in the style of comic books.
Remind students the point isn’t to be the best artist — it’s to write a story that’s short and exciting.
Great for: Elementary and middle school students
Give students vocabulary practice and help them write a silly story at the same time!
Fill a sheet with the outline of the story, then remove key words like:
For younger students, add a word bank to get them started. As students fill in words, they’ll craft a unique story filled with unexpected twists and turns.
Once students start getting in the habit of writing, these creative writing activities can pull new ideas out of their heads and encourage them to experiment with different genres.
Great for: Grades 3 to 8
Acrostic poems are a great way to introduce your students to poetry! Start with a meaningful word or name and use it as a theme for the poem.
Writing the word vertically, students can go down the letters and write a short word or phrase that starts with each letter. Acrostic poems help students write within a structure and theme, so it’s easier for them to get started.
Great for: Middle school and high school
Where do your students see themselves in a year? Five years? Ten years?
A letter to their future selves is a great way for students to explore their own story, and brainstorm what they want to achieve. Not only can students practice their letter-writing skills, they can use their imaginations to develop a growth mindset .
For extra nostalgia, store the letters for students and mail them out once the right amount of time has passed.
Great for: Grades 5 and up
Whether it’s a fairy tale, detective story or drama, chances are you’ve had a student tell you they don’t know how their story is supposed to end.
A “Choose-your-own-adventure” story lets students brainstorm different storylines and endings. Once they’re done, encourage them to share their stories with the class so their peers can go on the adventure too.
Great for: Grades 6 and up
Good writing doesn’t just happen in books — it’s all around us!
Whether students are writing advertisements on their own or as part of a project-based learning assignment , this activity helps them build key media literacy skills and practice their snappy storytelling.
Have students make up a new product and advertisement, or encourage them to re-imagine an ad for something they love. It’s also a great way to bring media literacy and interdisciplinary learning to your classroom.
Great for: Grades 2 to 8
Not every student is going to be comfortable putting pen to paper right away. Story maps can help students brainstorm details like plot, characters and setting in a way that makes sense for visual learners.
Have students use charts to set out the beginning, middle and end of their stories. Mind maps can also help them plot out details about their characters or setting.
Encourage students to present their story map as a finished product or use it to start writing!
Writing isn’t all fairy tales and short stories — it’s also an important part of learning in middle school, high school and college. Use these academic writing activities to help students understand proper essay structure, grammar and more.
Great for: Grades 4 to 8
Stories are better when they’re enjoyed with friends and classmates. And story chains encourage every student to get involved!
Put students in small groups of three to six. Give each student a blank piece of paper and have them write the beginning of a story. Then, pass it to the next student in the group so they can write what happens next.
For extra educational value, have students work together to summarize a story from your lesson or an important historical event.
Sometimes writing is about more than just telling a story. It’s about convincing your readers of your point of view.
Have older students practice their debate skills with persuasive essays. Start with a prompt, then let students make their case. Some of our favorite prompts for this writing assignment include:
Most importantly, make sure students back up their opinions with solid facts and arguments that convince readers to care.
Great for: Grade 6 and up
Climate change, litter, bullying, bad cafeteria food — no matter what students pick, there are lots of real-world problems for them to solve.
Challenge students with a writing assignment that addresses a problem they see in their world. How would they fix it? Whether it’s a short paragraph or a longer essay, encourage them to find something they’re passionate about. After all, that’s where good writing comes from!
Great for: Elementary school students
Vocabulary challenges combine vocabulary strategies with student writing to make your next language arts lesson plan even more engaging.
Give students a new word (or two or three). Once you’re done practicing it and they know what it means, challenge them to use it in a story as creatively as possible.
Great for: Grades 1 to 12
Footnotes, endnotes and bibliographies are the least exciting part of writing, but they’re essential skills. As students write more complex research papers, they need to know how to give credit where credit is due. Thankfully, there are lots of online resources to help!
The Purdue Online Writing Lab offers teachers and students resources for all stages of the writing process, including citations. To practice, students can write an annotated bibliography as part of a project-based learning assignment or the first step in writing a longer research paper.
Writing isn’t just something happening in the classroom. These at-home writing ideas can help you support your child as they experiment with prose and poetry.
Great for: Grades 3 and up
Everyone likes getting mail! Got a friend with kids in a different part of the country, or far-away family members? A pen pal can be a great way for kids to build friendships and practice their writing skills at the same time.
“It’s as big as a mountain!”
“That’s the fluffiest thing I’ve ever felt!”
The ways kids describe things can crack us up sometimes. Full of wonder and hyperbole, it’s the perfect spark for creative writing, too.
Encourage kids to practice their figurative language skills with a description of something in your home. Let them pack as much alliteration and exaggeration into the description as they can, then do a dramatic reading out loud.
If you want to boost reading comprehension and writing skills at the same time, this is the perfect activity. After your child is done reading, encourage them to write a few sentences about what they just read.
Did they like it? What do they think happens next? Which character was their favorite and why? Learning how to express opinions in writing is a valuable skill.
Great for: Grades 4 and up
Every family has a unique story, including yours. Make memories with your child when you share stories about important family events or your childhood.
Kids can even interview grandparents, aunts and uncles to record their memories. When you’re done, store them in a shared space so everyone can go back and reminisce.
Writing is a muscle, and you have to flex it every day to get stronger. Use these daily writing activities to make writing part of your everyday routine.
Great for: Everyone
Sometimes, you’ve just gotta write it out.
Whether you’re trying to make sense of life or just need a place to organize your thoughts, journaling is a great way to unwind, practice mindfulness and build social emotional skills .
All kids need to get started is a notebook and a pen. Let them know you’re not going to read it, but they’re welcome to come to you if there’s something they want to talk about.
Great for: High school and up
Everyone’s passionate about something. Whatever your students love, encourage them to share it with the world! Blogging is an accessible and fun way to express themselves, nerd out about the things that bring them joy and share their opinions with the world.
Sites like WordPress and Wix offer free website builders to help students get started. This is a great way for kids to build computer skills and digital literacy .
Write, write, write and don’t stop. That’s the premise behind free writing, a writing practice that can help unlock creativity, discover new ideas and take the pressure out of a blank page.
Give students a five-minute timer and challenge them to write continuously, without worrying about formatting, spelling or grammar. They can write about whatever they want, but there’s only one rule: don’t stop.
Make time to exercise your brain with daily writing prompts! At the start of the day or as a quick brain break , set aside time for students to respond to a quick daily writing prompt.
Students should have a dedicated journal or binder to make it a seamless part of your lessons. Whether or not you choose to read their writing is up to you, but it’s important to build good daily habits.
A blank page can be a scary sight for a student who doesn’t know what to write about.
Use writing prompts to:
Some of our favorite simple writing prompts include:
For more writing prompts you can use in and out of the classroom, check out our full list of 225 writing prompts for kids .
Writing is hard and can be intimidating for a lot of students.
But even the quietest and most reluctant students have lots of stories to tell! You just have to encourage them to get their words out.
Writing activities help remove some of the pressure and give students:
No two stories are the same, just like your students. Every story can start in a different way, and that’s the beauty of writing prompts.
Whether it’s writing activities or math problems, there are lots of ways to get reluctant learners excited about your lessons with educational activities.
Here are some of our favorites:
Which ones can you use in your next lesson?
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We found 15 plot development exercises that match your search 🔦 reset
Write a list of images you associate with your theme. Now do the same for each of your main characters. Keep these images in mind as a way to present your theme metaphorically through symbolic motifs.
Any questions.
There's one powerful motivator that led your reader to your book - curiosity. Our brain doesn't stop asking questions because it knows that's how it learns and evolves. Questions raise uncertainty. Unknowns. And if there's an unknown, then humans want to make it known. There will be a big question that drives your story, so take a couple of minutes to consider the mother-question that propels your book from beginning to end.Your manuscript also needs to be powered by lots of little questions. Your book will need a variety of whos, whens, whys, and wheres to keep your reader engaged. In fact, every scene in your book needs to have a question define it. It's what will keep your reader turning those pages. Review each of your scenes and identify the question/s hanging over it, because once you nail that, their mind will be asking the most important question of all - what happens next?
If you're working on a novel or short story, write a pivotal scene from an outside observer's perspective who has no role in the story.
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Pick a scene or passage you've written that you feel dissatisfied with. Take a short time - maybe 10 or 20 minutes - to read the passage as though it were someone else's work. Take a red pen and make notes in the margins. If you didn't know anything else about the story, where else could this scene go? Try to get a feel for how malleable the words and the story can be.
How do you start a story - or get a story back on track? If you're feeling lost or blocked, try templating to get your plot on course.Here's what to do: bullet point your initiating incident, your rising action, your crisis, and your resolution for both your main plot and subplots. Make a table to see events running parallel, remembering subplots exist to enhance, complicate _ ultimately, compliment _ your main action. Listing like this highlights any irrelevancies, keeping your tale on track, and makes all you write intertwined and significant to your protagonist's journey. Plan out using this framework as your reference.
Pick up one of your favorite novels. Open it to a random page. Whatever chapter you land on, rewrite it your own way. Take it in a totally different direction than how it actually plays out in the book.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." So began Seth Grahame-Smith's book, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which (you guessed it) re-imagined Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice in a world with zombies. Sometimes one big twist is all it takes to get you thinking about a story in a different way. How would the introduction of zombies shake things up in your world? How would it affect the relationships between your characters? How would it change priorities? Which parts of your world would stay the same, and which parts would be different? Detail this in a short story of 1,000-2,000 words.
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These activities are the definition of fun!
Learning new words is like adding to your writing toolbox. The more tools available, the more interesting and engaging your writing becomes. Check out these fun and engaging vocabulary activities for kids in grades K-12, and supply your students with the tools they need to build their wordsmith skills.
Using vocabulary words in writing shows mastery. Challenge your students to use all of their vocabulary words in an original short story. Allow students to pair up and share their stories with a partner.
Learn more: Vocab Short Story
Divide your class into two teams. Choose one student from one team to go to the front of the room and sit in a chair facing the class with their back to the board. This person is “on the spot.” Place a word on the board so everyone can see it except the person in the chair. One at a time, team members give the person a clue about the mystery word. If the word is guessed before two minutes are up, the team gets a point and play turns to the other team.
Learn more: On the Spot at Upper Elementary Snapshots
Download these vocabulary words and matching definitions. Distribute one card to each student (either a word or a definition). Allow students to circulate in the room and find their “match.” Switch cards and repeat.
Learn more: Dictionary Sort
Creating word maps from vocabulary words encourages students to find the relationships between the vocabulary word and other words. Have them include words, pictures, examples, real-world connections, definitions, descriptive words, etc.
Learn more: Word Map
Post vocabulary words around the room, then have students circulate and write an original sentence using that word on a sticky note. Follow along and make sure students use the words correctly.
Learn more: Post-it Stations
Kids draw cards out of the bag and attempt to correctly spell them. But be careful, you don’t want to draw the Pop! card.
Learn more: Pop!
Hang six to eight large sheets of chart paper in various places around the room. On each sheet, write one vocabulary word. Have students work in small groups, rotating between stations. At each station, ask students to come up with a different, original way to use each word. Continue the activity until all students have visited every station.
Learn more: Gallery Walk at TeachWriting.org
This fun activity requires students to draw a picture for each word to create their own visual dictionary. When students create their own visual representations, they develop an association with the word that they will be able to tap into when needed.
Learn more: Pictionary
Word maps help deepen understanding of a vocab word by relating it to other words and concepts students already know.
Frayer models are a popular way to learn new words and concepts. Kids define the word in their own terms, then list facts and characteristics, examples, and non-examples.
Learn more: Frayer Model
Kids and teachers love Sketchnotes ! Rather than writing out definitions, have students draw a sketch that sums up each word instead. It’s a lot more fun and gives kids an image for visual association to help them remember the meanings.
Learn more: Sketchnotes
Group vocab words together with a few other words with similar meanings and one that’s an antonym. Students identify the antonym and “bump” it to the next box, filling in the next group of words. They continue until the worksheet is full.
Learn more: Bumper Words
Think of a vocabulary graffiti wall like a collaborative word wall. In the classroom, post the words on the wall and have kids add sticky notes to illustrate the term (they can use words or pictures). Online, try a tool like Padlet or Google Slides.
Learn more: Graffiti Wall
This is a terrific way to practice vocab words pulled from books you’re reading. Ask students to use various words to describe the different characters in the book and their feelings, thoughts, and actions.
Learn more: Vocabulary Activities
This vocabulary game is fun and challenging, and it can be played by kids of any age. Choose a word, then challenge kids to come up with related words for as many letters as possible. These could be synonyms, antonyms, examples, and more. Trickier letters are worth more points!
Learn more: A to Z
Are you on the Flip (formerly Flipgrid) bandwagon yet? It’s perfect for vocabulary activities! Have kids record a quick video for each word, using their creativity to make it fun and meaningful.
Learn more: Pop-Up Pods
Good vocabulary activities encourage more than just memorization of definitions. That’s why we like this Jeopardy game idea. It explores synonyms and antonyms and how words are used in real sentences.
Learn more: Not So Wimpy Teacher
Writing a story using vocab words is a perennial favorite, but the RAFT method gives it a new twist. Students are assigned a Role (the point of view from which they’ll tell the story), an Audience, a Format, and a Topic. For instance, they might be an astronaut (Role) writing a postcard (Format) to their friends back home (Audience) about what they’ve seen on Mars (Topic). RAFTs are especially great for kids who claim they don’t know what to write about.
Learn more: RAFTs
Vocabulary words take on greater meaning when students incorporate them into their daily lives. Challenge kids to use their vocab words in conversation and writing outside the language arts classroom. Use the free printable worksheet here to help them keep track of how often they use them.
Learn more: Downloadable Vocabulary Activities
Colorful organizers like these are terrific vocabulary activities. Want to go digital? Have kids make a slideshow, one slide per word. They can include the same information, but instead of drawing a picture, have them find one online that illustrates the concept.
Learn more: Graphic Organizers at Upper Elementary Snapshots
Give really important terms the attention they deserve. Choose a new vocab word each week, then explore it in depth day by day.
Learn more: Word of the Week
Post a list of target vocab words. If a student uses one of the words in class (outside of vocabulary activities), they become a member of the Million Dollar Word Club! You can have them sign their name on a wall in the classroom or award a badge online. You could even develop this into a reward system for homework passes or extra credit.
Learn more: Million Dollar Words
This is a cool idea for exploring synonyms and the slight differences that make words unique. Ask for paint sample strips at your local hardware store, or buy a clip art set .
Learn more: Shades of Meaning
This is one of those vocabulary activities kids will want to do over and over again! Assign each student a word and have them create a faux Facebook, Instagram, or other social media page for it. They can draw them freehand or complete a template like these from Teachers Pay Teachers . Post the images to a shared Google slideshow so other students can use them for review.
Learn more: Social Media Vocabulary
Have students draw a diagonal line across an index card. On the top half, have them write the vocabulary word and definition. On the bottom half, have them draw a picture of the word and use it in a sentence. Cards can be joined together in a strip for easy review.
Learn more: Index Card Vocabulary
In this game, the goal is for one student to get their partner to guess the word by describing or giving examples of it. The trick? There’s a list of additional words they’re not allowed to use! Let other students see the card in advance to help keep the players honest. (Flash it on a whiteboard and have the guesser face away.)
Learn more: Don’t Say It! Vocabulary Game
Choose a vocab word, then have a student roll a die ( these virtual dice are handy ) to see which activity they get to complete.
Learn more: Roll a Word
Write an acrostic poem for each vocab term, using the letters to determine the first word in each line. This can get really challenging when words are longer!
Learn more: Acrostic Poem
Everyone knows that playing games is the best way to learn. Try some of these fabulous board games with your students and watch their vocabularies grow.
Learn more: 11 Vocab Games To Make the Learning Stick
This is one of those picture books that grown-up kids will enjoy as much as little ones. Use it to remind your kids that they don’t need a vocabulary list to learn new words—new words are all around them. Encourage them to keep a word list or journal of their own to record new words they want to explore and use more often.
Buy it: The Word Collector
Make or buy headbands with a notch on the front designed to hold a card. Create cards with vocabulary words on them. To play, each student gets a card but can’t see it. Other students will describe the word, trying to get the one wearing the headband to guess the correct word.
Learn more: Vocab Headbanz
A fun and lively way to practice vocabulary words. Create a deck of vocabulary words with two of each word. Explain the rules of Go Fish to students and let them loose!
Learn more: Go Fish Vocab Game
Using wooden letter beads and pipe cleaners, students will form three-letter words that match vocabulary cards.
Learn more: Three-Letter Busy Bag
Everybody loves an exciting round of charades. Break your students into groups, provide them with a stack vocabulary cards, and watch them learn!
Learn more: Word Charades
Use plastic letters, magnet letters, or letter blocks to make words. Play it mentally with older kids, or with paper and pencil. Simply give your children some letters and challenge them to make words from those letters.
Learn more: Make a Word
Send your students on a scavenger hunt … in the dictionary! Exposing kids to the thousands of words in our language is both inspiring and fun. Download the free task cards below.
Learn more: Dictionary Dig
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A project that incorporates both standard and creative elements of storytelling can help young learners strengthen their literacy skills.
What can creative writing look, feel, and sound like in a first grade classroom? How can creative writing become a joyful and meaningful learning experience, and how can we educators facilitate the creative process and allow young writers to use their imagination when writing?
Graphic organizers, mind maps, and storyboards are certainly great tools for narrative building and planning, but they do not necessarily scaffold the creative process that story writing requires. In reality, they might even restrict students’ creativity while they “box” ideas in predetermined templates. This year, in my class, going play-based and hands-on has turned out to be a tremendous success.
For this particular unit, my first grade students were examining literature and storytelling. After they had enjoyed several read-alouds, explored story elements, and studied the story mountain (beginning, rising action, conflict, resolution, and ending) as a team, it was time for them to write their very own stories.
They kicked off by creating their main character and decided on the character’s appearance, personality, likes, and dislikes. They also had the choice to play the main character role in the story. In both cases, while still brainstorming, it was time for action: They drew and decorated their characters with markers and pencils, cut them out, and used a Popsicle stick to make a puppet.
They became even more motivated to continue as they saw their characters come to life. My students spontaneously started interacting with each other and their puppets—creating stories and being imaginative—they went right into storytelling mode. This created the perfect opportunity for me to step back and observe my students’ initiative, creativity, and social and communication skills, not to mention their sense of accomplishment and joy.
After they had engaged with their characters and interacted with others, it was time for the young writers to further develop their stories and think of a scenario leading to the rising action and resolution. This was the point when loose parts played a crucial role in the storytelling process. Counters, pipe cleaners, bits of paper, pebbles, dice, and buttons became houses, trees, magic wands, you name it. These bits and bobs from around the classroom became a valuable, zero-cost resource.
While students actively arranged and rearranged their chosen loose parts, they wondered about what would happen next in their stories. Unexpectedly, some students chose to collaborate and co-created stories by joining their imagination and characters in one story. In this step of the creative process, the use of loose parts was truly empowering: Before jotting anything down in their notebooks, my students physically, mentally, and verbally constructed their narratives and shared them with their partners.
With the mental representation of their narratives ready, it was all a matter of scribing their ideas. For that, we followed our usual class routines and resources such as word banks, sentence starters, and buddy support. All my students were engaged and confident, and when struggling with ideas, they resorted to loose parts again. As my first grade is a multicultural classroom, some of my students needed language support . However, with all of them hooked on their stories, supporting those who needed help with vocabulary, sentence construction, and spelling was simplified.
I conferred with students individually and in small groups to understand their thinking and offered feedback on paragraphing and some word choice. Instead of using notebooks for their first drafts, they chose to use mini-boards, which motivated them even more and supported them to make quick adjustments to their narratives. Finally, after receiving feedback, they moved on to writing their final drafts and designing their covers in order to turn their stories into books. Each student took their book home to share it with their family after reading it with the class.
What good is a book if it isn’t read and enjoyed? Buddy reading was the last step of the process but certainly not the least exciting. My students read aloud to each other, commenting on their favorite bits of the story and appreciating the illustrations. The whole project, from getting their characters ready to publishing and reading their books, took around five hours divided into five days.
When reflecting on the writing process, my students said that what they appreciated the most was the making of their puppets and illustrating their stories, highlighting the importance of integrating arts and writing. When asked about what was challenging, they replied that it was creating all the parts of the story mountain. However, they all said that using loose parts was a helpful strategy that they would use again—which they spontaneously have done in subsequent writing engagements. Lastly, when asked how they felt, some of the words they used were “proud,” “good,” and “joyful!”
A recent UNESCO report on the importance of happiness in learning refers to neuroscience research that proves our affective and cognitive domains are interconnected and interdependent. Therefore, emotions do affect learning! Joy is not a trade-off for academic achievement. Creating positive learning experiences makes learning stick.
Very often, students fear and avoid writing as a consequence of previous negative writing experiences. Combining art and a play-based approach to creative writing in first grade can set students on a path to success by building on their confidence, creativity, imagination, and sense of accomplishment. I have witnessed that the integration of art and writing has helped my students discover how writing can be a joyful and memorable experience where they can all be amazing storytellers and writers.
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What are the benefits of open culture a new cc publication.
Today we in the Open Culture Program are releasing a new publication: Don’t be a Dinosaur; or, The Benefits of Open Culture .
Following in the footsteps of open culture pioneers , many institutions are taking the leap to open their collections online, partly as a way to celebrate a sense of (re)connection with cultural heritage collections in the digital space. While the road to OC is strewn with barriers , its benefits are well worth the journey.
This report distills the many views expressed in our Open Culture Voices (OCV) series about the ways in which so many people can benefit from open culture. In short:
To find out more:
→ To stay informed about our open culture work:
A quick look at the cc strategic workshop on open heritage, recap & recording: “open culture in the age of ai: concerns, hopes and opportunities”, open culture platform activity fund winners 2024, webinar: open culture in the age of ai: concerns, hopes and opportunities.
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Creative writing exercises are short writing activities (normally around 10 minutes) designed to get you writing. The goal of these exercises is to give you the motivation to put words onto a blank paper. These words don't need to be logical or meaningful, neither do they need to be grammatically correct or spelt correctly.
For a quick creative writing exercise, try one of the 20 writing prompts below, excerpted from Chronicle Books' 642 Tiny Things to Write About. Each prompt was created by a writing teacher at the San Francisco Writers Grotto to be done in 10 minutes or less. For a bigger creative challenge, do one writing prompt a day for 20 days.
A selection of fun creative writing exercises that can be completed solo, or with a group. Some are prompts to help inspire you to come up with story ideas, others focus on learning specific writing skills. Intro. I run a Creative Writing Meetup for adults and teens in Montpellier or online every week. We start with a 5 to 20 minute exercise ...
Creative Warm-Up Exercises with Places: Choose a place and make it come alive by describing the sights, smells, and sounds. Think of an object and write a story where that object is the main character. Write down three things you want to include in your writing project and then brainstorm how you can incorporate them.
For a quick creative writing exercise, try one of the 20 writing prompts below, excerpted from Chronicle Books' 642 Tiny Things to Write About. Each prompt was created by a writing teacher at the San Francisco Writers Grotto to be done in 10 minutes or less. For a bigger creative challenge, do one writing prompt a day for 20 days.
Quick and easy activities for reluctant writers. These activities excite students of all ages. ... The Purpose: A fairy tale remix writing activity is a fantastic creative exercise for students as it allows them to put a unique spin on classic fairy tales, fostering imagination, critical thinking, and storytelling skills. This activity ...
The purpose of creative writing exercises is to expand your imagination and to spark new ideas or thoughts, encouraging you to practice writing these before you start on your next project. Themed writing prompts can be helpful here, breaking down your prompts into different buckets like: Food. Animals. Landscapes.
8 Creative Writing Exercises to Strengthen Your Writing. 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 ...
So if you're needing a creative pick-me-up or looking for some quick writing tasks to help warm your brain before the main event, check out our top 30 writing exercises to get your creative juices flowing. Exercise #1: Write a story in six words or fewer. This is an activity for extended prose writers who love a challenge.
Welcome to Writing Exercises and Prompts. This site provides (completely free) creative writing prompts and exercises to help you get started with creative writing and break through writing blocks - as well as some fun anagram vocabulary games. Generate random story ideas, plots, subjects, scenarios, characters, first lines for stories and more.
25 Fun Daily Writing Tasks. $3.00. Quick Write and JOURNAL Activities for ALL TEXT TYPES in DIGITAL & PDF PRINT to engage RELUCTANT WRITERS. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ( 18 reviews ) ... Before the activity, a cube is prepared. Upon each face of the cube, a task is written that requires specific grammar knowledge. For example: Make a sentence.
5. Write a stream of consciousness page. This is an easy and fun exercise. You want to write it in longhand rather than typing on your computer, as handwriting slows down the process and allows more time for your creative brain to do its work. Grab a pen and blank pad and simply start writing.
Eight. Pick a fiction book from your shelf. Go to page eight and find the eighth sentence on the page. Start with that sentence and write an eight-line poem that connects in some way to your work-in-progress. For instance, write from the POV of a character, or set the poem in a story setting. Don't worry about poetry forms.
Quickwrites develop fluency. They: • keep students writing several times a week. • keep students writing beyond the quickwrite when they find themselves. committed to a topic that matters to them. • offer ongoing practice for writing in sensible, realistic, and meaningful. ways on demand or in timed situations.
Among both exercises to improve writing skills and fun writing exercises for adults, writing metaphor lists is one of the best writing exercises out there. A metaphor list is simple. On a notebook, create two columns. In one column, write down only concrete nouns. Things like a pillow, a tree, a cat, a cloud, and anything that can be perceived ...
Writing exercises using simile and metaphor. Wild reactions. His face was as __ as a__ after the bug bite and we were all a bit worried. Comparing the moon. The moon is a__ tonight, its thin crescent glowing like a__. Making abstraction specific. My anxiety is like a__ on the first day of school. A__ with a __.
18. Cleaning: Hey, even writers and creative artists have to do housework sometimes. Write about doing laundry, dishes, and other cleaning activities. 19. Great Minds: Write about someone you admire and you thought to have had a beautiful mind. 20. Missed Connections: If you go to Craigslist, there is a "Missed Connections" section where you can find some interesting storylines to inspire ...
Go on a five-senses scavenger hunt. Find three items for each sense. Create a story using the items you found. Create a story around an interesting picture ( try these fun picture writing prompts!) Find an ad in a magazine or elsewhere and rewrite the description to convince people NOT to buy the advertised item.
2. Have a man cooking for a woman on a third date, and have her describe the aromas in such loving and extended detail that she realizes that she's in love with him. 3. Pick a line from one of your favorite songs, and identify the main emotion. Now write a character who is feeling that emotion and hears the song.
students need a quick creative writing activity to warm them up; you want to introduce a new writing unit; It's great to have quick, fun creative writing exercises and lesson plans to turn to when you have extra class time to fill. If students don't finish, have them hold onto them for another day. There always seems to be a pocket of time ...
Here are 12 fun creative writing activities that will boost your child's creativity, imagination and encourage them to write for fun. 18+ Fun Creative Writing Activities Use Story Maps. ... Poetry is a quick and short writing activity to get kids engaged in creative writing. But writing a typical haiku or limerick can get boring over time.
These 22 fun writing activities can help them: Use their imagination; ... Give students a set number of panels and challenge them to come up with a quick story — just a few sentences. ... Once students start getting in the habit of writing, these creative writing activities can pull new ideas out of their heads and encourage them to ...
Grab Your Red Pen. Pick a scene or passage you've written that you feel dissatisfied with. Take a short time - maybe 10 or 20 minutes - to read the passage as though it were someone else's work. Take a red pen and make notes in the margins.
Access units and lessons, free choice and creative writing tips, journaling lessons, quick writes, and more for students K-12. Cost: Free, Premium and Premium Plus versions. Storium.edu. This innovative, collaborative writing game revolves around digital story cards that represent different aspects of storytelling and character development.
The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. The ...
1. Write vocabulary stories. Using vocabulary words in writing shows mastery. Challenge your students to use all of their vocabulary words in an original short story. Allow students to pair up and share their stories with a partner. Learn more: Vocab Short Story. 2. Put your students in the hot seat.
Examining Elements of Creative Writing in First Grade. For this particular unit, my first grade students were examining literature and storytelling. After they had enjoyed several read-alouds, explored story elements, and studied the story mountain (beginning, rising action, conflict, resolution, and ending) as a team, it was time for them to ...
An AI Writer consists of single or multiple tools powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that generate or edit text for you (Writer). The text is often used for content on social media, websites, blogs, landing pages, advertisements, and much more. Quicktools by Picsart offers a variety of AI writer tools, including text tools that generate ...
Try Creative Cloud today. After your free trial, your Adobe Creative Cloud membership is only. US$19.99/mo US$59.99/mo . See terms. Buy now. Free trial. Purchase by phone: 800-585-0774. Students and teachers are eligible for over 60% discount on Adobe Creative Cloud. Get access to Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro and more.
This report distills the many views expressed in our Open Culture Voices (OCV) series about the ways in which so many people can benefit from open culture. In short: Openly shared cultural heritage: is easier to find. reaches broader and more diverse audiences. can be preserved, safeguarded and refined in digital form.