Playing around with words adds something to my life. Most of you know what I mean. We don't have to write about things that are deep and meaningful, (although we can) but that's not what this blog is about.
This blog is totally dedicated to writing exercises that can unleash the forces of creativity that you sometimes forget you have. Why? Because you're immersed in trying to finish your novel or busy "teaching" your children to write. Most of you are probably putting in a 40+ hour workweek (in one way or another).
Stop. Take a deep breath. Let's pretend it's vacation time and we're going on a trip. The first thing we'll need to do is decide where we're going. Write an awesome (fiction or non-fiction) place you would like to visit at the top of a paper.
The top of my paper would read: Virginia (that's because I wrote a book about it and because it's great horse country!).
Now comes the important part. Without stopping to think, get ready to write any thought, word, or phrase that comes to your mind (and reminds you of your dream place) on that same paper... we're braindropping again! Time yourself for two minutes.
Ready.... Set....Go! Don't lift your pencil from your paper even for space purposes. Write as fast and as messy as you can (without worrying about spelling or grammar). And if you can't think of anything else, write, "I can't think...I can't think..." until something comes to your mind. Trust me it will.
At the end of two minutes, look at your paper. Chose a couple words or thoughts that jump out at you to write a quick paragraph about...you'll have tons of ideas that will turn into dazzling descriptive sentences. If you would have taken the time to sit down and think about your vacation destination, you'd still be chewing the end of your pencil. Now, you've unlocked your creativity and YOU CAN WRITE!
Teachers, your kids will love this one. Hopefully you've been doing a lot of braindropping with them. If you've just joined our network, you might want to do this exercise orally first. Remember, you are part of the writing journey...make sure to join your kids in the fun. If you are excited about writing, your kids will willingly take the plunge!
7 comments:
Did somebody say Virginia? Horses, warm, beach, history, Williamsburg, Jefferson, Monticello, history, did I say history, Unv. of Virginia, Presidents, estates, grand life styles, slavery, conflict, Civil War, history.
Hey this is cool. I clicked on both cool and interesting
pssssssss add Virginia, trip, vacation, to your labels, and maybe maps, planning too
Sandy
The Grand Canyon I would love to go back and visit the Grand Canyon again sometime in my life. I've been there before, for about a hot second! I went out to Arizona a long time ago awith a girl to keep her company on the trip and to help her drive. It didn't turn out so well for either of us because we weren't close friends before the trip, nor were we afterward. BUT, we did stop to view the canyon for about a half an hour (all she could stand) and I willl go back someday. The beauty of the place is beyond imagination, but what really gets me about the Grand Canyon is the thought of how it was formed and the fact that it's even HERE! It does something to my mind, kind of like looking at the stars. When you are lying on your back or just looking intently into the night sky, it makes me feel so insignificant, and that's the way the canyon makes me feel. People are so self-absorbed and self-important tht we forget that we really are not much in the grand scheme of things. My ideas for vacations take a couple of different tacks; one, I want to experience something new and unique and/or I just want to lie about and read in the shady breeze and feel calm. So, here I wrote about the grand canyon, but really, it became a sort of treatise on being-ness for me. Jan, I am so glad I found your site and that you help me with putting things on paper. I am not ordinarily a journaler, but I am going to print and save my blog to give to my son and grandchildren so that when I am not here anymore, they can read about things I thought about. I wish I had something like that from my grandparents. I have many happy memories, but to really know what they thought about things, I have none of that. Does this sound silly? I suppose i'm going through one of Erikson's "stages" of life when I'm doing all this wondering about what I'm leaving behind, but I think introspection is a good thing. Meanwhile, I love that you also added that we don't always have to think about writing serious stuff on our blogs. You are right, we all have out jobs that we expend a lot of work and worry on, and I'm glad that there is at least one other person out there who thinks it's okay to write about getting baby goat love.
ooooh free writing! I will get back to you on this.
Another great post, Jan. And another fun writing exercise.
:-)
The impending doom of exams, kids, and life in general; me think (es) that I am going on a trip to the insane asylumn. When I get there I hope they greet me with some really good drugs and super nice people. My goal is to be sheltered away from the rest of the world that I do not want to face. Or at least give me a doctors note excusing me from making long and tedious online post for a class and get me out of two exams. But that is not likely to happen. My instructors will find a way to find me and forcefeed me knowledge. The one teacher will have a consipracy theory going with the asylumn and they will imbed infared internet into my brain so I will be forced to mentally post for her class. The other will be there haunting me with his perpetual quizzes and unjust examinations. OOOOH two minutes are up!
The Beach! That's where I'm going!
Sand softly sifting through my toes wriggling deeper, deeper..
into the cool moisture of beyond.
Endless.
Unlike the sand quickly dripping through the hour glass.
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