With two exceptions, noted in the text, these are all original exercises I created for StreetWrites workshop. I am glad to give permission to use them for educational and non-commercial purposes. See below.
- Building Blocks
- Some exercise with the basic writing tools: words, sentences, paragraphs.
- General Grammar Gripes
- Lay/Lie, Sit/Set
- Possessives
- Pesky Participles
- Essays
- Basic prose: "an attempt at words."
- Finding a Point of View
- One of the basic techniques of fiction is point of view (POV). "Who's telling this story?" Point of view is used in poetry, also, and in non-fiction writing. The different types of POV are defined, with examples from popular fiction, and set exercises for practicing each of them.
- Being Conflicted
- Character and conflict both generate a story. How do you create a conflict?
- Setting the Hook
- A large number of people pick books by the first paragraph. How do you hook them?
- Details, Details
- The Devil is in the details ... and so is everything else.
- Believable Dialogue
- Would anyone really talk like that?
- A Rewrite Exercise
- An example of how not to write an opening paragraph -- and a chance to try writing it better.
- I Remember ...
- Speedwrite through loaded memories and "keep the drama on the page."
- Control
- Some questions to ask yourself about artistic control -- before a problem comes up.
- A Writer's Responsibility
- Just how much are we responsible for the effect of our writing?
- Working It
- Just some of the many ways of working on writing.
- The Art of the Non-Sequitur
- There's a little more to it than dashing about trying to lose your reader among the cabbages. Besides, we will always have Paris.
- An Assault on the Gardener
- By © Dr. Wes Browning; exercise with sound and nonsense by adding to the Gardener's Song.
- The Twist
- The basic joke sequence: set the audience up and give them something unexpected.
- Follow that Thought!
- Develop your wit by finding absurd implications in daily things usually taken for granted. It isn't all that hard.
- Juxtaposition
- Creativity is making connections between things not usually connected. So is humor.
- Exaggeration
- The greatest humor secret ever revealed.
- Understatement
- Might be useful.
- Stuff and Nonsense
- Harness the power of playing silly-buggers to run rings around writer's block.
- Parody, Satire and Rant, Oh My!
- StreetWrites Sampler
- Writing from StreetWrites members.
- The Unicorn Pen
- Poetry, fiction, essays and humor from StreetWrites, others, and you -- post your own.
- Poetry Exercises
- From the Muse Kalliope -- by way of Anitra Freeman.
- Writing Resources
- Books and Links from the Muses Thalia & Kalliope.
Write On!
Anitra L. Freeman
All contents and images are created and copyrighted by Anitra Freeman, Wes Browning, and other members of StreetWrites workshop, except quotes from published material, which is attributed to the author and used only for educational purposes. Others may use this material, on request, for personal or educational purposes where no fee is charged, with credit to the authors and a link wherever possible. (I know it's hard to create an HTML link from a blackboard.)
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