Don't Thumb Your Nose at Writing Exercises

Who are they? Where are they? What are they talking about? 

Don't thumb your nose at writing exercises. You can sharpen your writing skills if you do them on a regular basis. They can be a warm-up to your regular writing routine. You can also come up with an idea for a piece to write that is publishable. These exercises are not punishment, only meant to help.

Many writers don't bother with writing exercises. "I just want to write!" That's the attitude. Exercises are all about writing, so don't roll your eyes and move on. If you are someone who thinks they are boring, all you have to do is vary the kinds of exercises you do. Try them daily, three times a week, or occasionally. Whatever works for you. 

Here are a few writing exercies you might try:

A.  Photo Prompt:  Find a photo of any kind, one that shows some activity or a person in a particular setting. Like the one with today's post. Don't start writing yet. Study the photo or painting. Use your imagination to decide who the person or people are, where they're at, where they might be going and more. Then start writing a paragraph or several. Keep going as long as something comes to mind.

B.  Free Write:  Open a book, close your eyes, and point to a word. Type that word, then start writng whatever comes to mind for a full ten minutes, or even longer. (Some writers say that fifteen to twenty minutes gets the best results. ) Don't stop to think, keep writing. Let your subconscious free itself. You don't need to make sense, but normally something sensible will come in part of what you write in this exercise. Some of it may give you an idea for a story, essay, or poem. 

C.  Color Exercise:  Choose a color, then write a descriptive paragraph without naming the color. Here's your chance to highlight your descriptive abilities.  Make a list of colors and choose one each day.

D.  Weather Exercise:  Make a list of weather situations (tornado, hail, hurricane, windy day etc). Choose one and write a descriptive paragraph or paragraphs using the word as a prompt.

E.   Emotions:  Make a list of emotions. Choose one and write whatever comes to mind. Let yourself use emotion in this exercise. Too often, we hold back our emotions when we write. Doing this one repeatedly will allow you to release some of those pent-up feelings. 

Exercises, whether physical ones or the writing kind, are meant to make you stronger. Hit the walking trail for an hour and your body will benefit. Try a writing exercise for fifteen minutes to half an hour, and your future writing will gain in quality. The more you do the exercises, the stronger writer you will become.