These original exercises have been successfully used to break down the writing process for the novice writer. Each one focuses on a certain aspect of writing fiction. The student will be able to practice writing character, detail and working from a directed collaborative assignment.
Creating a Character
This exercise is always a favorite with students because it involves a field trip. On almost every campus, there is some sort of art gallery where guest artists and students display their work. Visit the gallery and determine if the art showing is suitable to the exercise. It's always advisable to get permission from whoever runs the gallery for the class to visit. Plan a full class period for this activity.
Once the students are gathered at the gallery, instruct them to spend some time walking around and carefully considering the exhibits. The student will then choose a particular piece of art. The goal of the exercise is for students to study the art, write down their impressions and ideas, and then turn that painting or sculpture into a fictional character based on their observations.
The student writes a description of the character as a real person. A successful essay would include the character's background, physical description, marital status and family, personality, job, habits and so forth. The exercise helps the students learn that the characters they write about in their own fiction should also have the same attention to detail. The assignment should be due within a week.
Collaboration on a Story
No two people think alike, even given the same set of directions. This exercise showcases the difference in style and imagination among the students.
The students, under the professor's direction, will brainstorm ideas for a story. It's best to have a chalkboard to write on to keep the ideas in columns. There will be several sections, including genre, setting, plot, characters, names, ages and so on.
Encourage the students to brainstorm and call out their suggestions. After listing several options under each heading, the instructor will then have the students vote to eliminate all but one option in each category. They may end up writing a Gothic murder mystery set in a convent in the Everglades. Or they may write a romance set in Texas with 95 year-old lovers named Ethel and Fred. The choices can be endless, and often, the result is hilarious.
Over the next week, the students will then write a short short story. Break the class into groups of four and have the students read each other's work. For many students, this may be the first time they have had such a specific directed writing assignment. Grade the story based on normal criteria.
Writing to Add Detail
Students can tend to write a story for plot and easily overlook those details that bring the story to life. This exercise focuses attention on the senses. This is a classroom exercise that can be completed in one session. After asking each question, allow about five minutes for the student to write on each item. The questions are limited only by the imagination, and the list could be endless. Some suggestions include:
- What do your feet feel like in your shoes.
- How does it feel to jump in a pool of freezing water.
- Describe hunger.
- Describe what a baby's cry sounds like.
- What does Grandma's perfume smell like.
- Describe biting into an orange.
- What does it feels like to cry.
- Describe the sound of sadness.
- Describe the color of love.
- Describe the taste of anger.
After completing this exercise, students should then be directed to revise one of their previous works by adding detail and color. They will probably go overboard on the detail, but it will focus their attention on this important aspect of writing.
The best way to learn how to write well is to practice, and hopefully these exercises will broaden the students' experiences and add life to their work.
Delphine Cull - Delphine Cull has an M.A. in Creative Writing and taught as a Writing Professor for several years. Her articles about the craft of writing ...
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