How to Eat a Poem
Purpose: When reading poetry, students so often feel pressure to find the “deeper” or “underlying” meaning. This exercise is meant to...
Writing a Zine Agreement
Purpose: This exercise leads students through the process of planning their zine. It encourages them to figure out what will be included...
Don't Take This Exercise for Granted
Purpose: This exercise encourages students to explore ways of employing effective detail-driven transitions within their writing. By...
The View From Above: Invention using Imagery
Purpose: This is an exercise on effectively using images in poetry and prose, and it accompanies Philip Cory Cloud's “Home.” Description:...
Dialogue: Tell Me How You Really Feel
Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is for students to develop their skills of mixing dialogue with action. Description: Communication...
Dialogue: From Screen to Page
Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is for students to develop their skills of mixing dialogue with action. Also for them to practice...
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...