Quote

Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work.

~ Rita Mae Brown

Secret Diary Writing Exercise # 6

Halloween has always been my favourite holiday. I love the spookiness, the candy, the dressing up. What writer doesn't love the chance to be somebody else? So, in honour of Halloween let's do a secret diary exercise. Today it is your choice - who have you always secretly wanted to be? Is it an actual person? A character from a book or movie? Maybe it isn't a specific person, instead maybe it is a job you've always hoped for the opportunity to do? Whoever or whatever it is, sit down at your desk, get into costume in your imagination and write an entry in their secret diary.

*Happy Halloween everyone! Any leftover chocolate you don't want can be sent to me, by the way.

Week 52

"I've never heard of the place," Burt insisted.

Random Writing Exercise #13

Around here we usually start at the beginning with a first line. But let's shake things up bit, shall we? How about a last line - it is every bit as hard to write a great last line as it is to write a great first line. So this is the last line - you write the story that ends here.

Even though they knew they would never return, as they turned towards home they had no regrets.

Week 51

Stacey stared at her reflection in the mirror, panic-stricken.

Random Writing Exercise # 12

For this writing exercise you are going to need to view some paintings so I would suggest going to an art gallery (yay, a writing adventure!) or visit a library and look at art books, or look at art online. When you have found a painting that you find interesting study it for a while then ask yourself - if this painter had been a writer instead, what would their writing style be like? Don't think about this too much - just take out your notebook and quickly jot down a few sentences. Then move on to another painting and do the same thing. This is meant to be a very free flowing, creative exercise. There is no right or wrong way to do it, just let the words pour onto the page without much thought. The writing may not even make sense - that's okay! In fact that's great! Think of it a bit like jazz - but you are improvising with words instead of musical notes. And don't try to describe the painting - try to be the painter, writing. For example, if you were looking the painting by Claude Monet above you might write:

"Twilight dream,

let me never wake

from the mystery that is our love."

Have fun with this! If you would like to search for painters online here are a few names to get you started:

-Henri Matisse

-Pablo Picasso

- Jackson Pollack

- Georgia O'Keefe

- Emily Carr

Week 50

It certainly was big.

Week 49

Steven stood in his kitchen wondering what had made him think throwing a dinner party would be a good idea.

Quote

"We do not write in order to be understood, we write in order to understand."

~ Cecil Day-Lewis

Secret Diary Writing Exercise # 5

You are an explorer (it is up to you where you are an explorer - somewhere on Earth? Or maybe in outer space? Another dimension?). After years and years of hard work you have finally made an important discovery. Perhaps you have discovered another species of animal? Of plant? Maybe an entire civilization? You know this discovery will change the world. You will write papers, perhaps books about it. You will be invited to give lectures. But before you tell the world the "official" story of how you made your important discovery, you will first confess the truth to your secret diary. Write that diary entry.