Dreams have always fascinated me. Why do we dream? Are they meaningful? Why do they form certain patterns? And how can we use them to tap further into our creativity? While I can’t answer these questions, I thought that writing some good old-fashioned prompts and exercises around this topic might help us gain further insight…
Tag: #writingexercise
How to Get Fiction Inspiration From Your Family History
As I write this article I’m holding a hairdryer, trying to melt a block of frozen soup away from its non-microwavable container. I’m sure my ancestors had a better system, but then again they didn’t have freezers. Often unconscious of the fact that Caveman Joe, Erik the Beardless and Sophie Hairdryer Soup Queen are the…
Using Word Trees to Generate Plot Ideas
It’s never fun to be stuck in quicksand. I know what it’s like when you have a great character idea or inciting event, but can’t move forward in a story. Fortunately, I’ve found a solution to get myself out of that deadly situation: experimenting with writing exercises. This one came to me when two different…
Writing Tips From a Creative Writing Student
Unlike many of the ideas I get for posts, this one wasn’t a sudden inspiration. On two separate occasions: while looking over my textbooks, then in the discount aisle of a supermarket; I thought about how much I’d improved recently. From perking up craft to forming a daily habit, these past few months have shown me…
10 Halloween Creative Writing Exercises to Chill and Thrill.
I think I could possibly be Halloween’s number one fan. Watching the leaves change colour and the apples drop ready for a steaming autumnal pie are just two of my favourite seasonal delights. A time when the ancients believed the veil between the world of the living and the dead was so fine, humans could…
10 Romantic Creative Writing Exercises to Beguile and Inspire
Writing about love is not my forte; in fact I don’t think I’ve ever attempted it other than in fat-lettered diary entries from when I was twelve. Due to a current project it’s something I need to work on however; so I sat down and wrote these exercises to warm the cockles of my pen….