Dialogue: Don't Mind Me, I'm Just Changing Your Story
Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is for students to develop their skills in writing dialogue that both reveals character and moves...
Dialogue: "I think I've heard this one before"
Purpose: Students will practice managing large sections of dialogue in a single setting. Description: Raymond Carver wrote several...
Dialogue: "Are We Still Talking about Doing Dishes?"
Purpose: Students will practice writing dialogue that builds tension through subtext and disagreement while avoiding dialogue as...
What Is It? Enriching Descriptive Writing
Purpose: This exercise stimulates students to enrich their descriptive writing by using a plain object and writing about it in an...
Symbols of Memory: Using Details to Establish Meaning
Purpose: This activity could be useful as a tool for exploring the use of sensory detail and memory to express emotions; it teaches...
Snap Shots: Details & Point of View
Purpose of Exercise: Fosters creative exploration of point of view, detailed description, and narrative as individuals and...
Food and Family: Description
Purpose: This activity is intended to inspire students to write very descriptively, and it can be used as an invention exercise for a...
Exploding a Moment: Developing Details
Purpose: This activity helps students develop their ideas and can be used at any stage in the writing process, but is often most helpful...
Character Development: Making Those Characters A Little More Three-Dimensional
Purpose of Exercise: This is a handout-style exercise for protagonist development in writing short stories. Description: You might...
Brainteaser: Voice Without Word Choice
Purpose: This exercise fosters creative thinking in descriptions, development of voice, and playing effectively with sarcasm....