Writing Exercises & Advice -- Creative Writing Exercises and Advice
This page includes creative writing exercises and advice for creative writers, covering all aspects of craft and technique. Creative writing exercises will help get you started writing and improve specific areas of fiction writing.
Writing Exercises for New Story Ideas
Don't know what to write about? These exercises and writing prompts will get you started.
Don't know what to write about? These exercises and writing prompts will get you started.
Creative Writing Prompts
These creative writing prompts, appropriate for poetry or fiction, will help you take your free writing sessions in a new direction.
These creative writing prompts, appropriate for poetry or fiction, will help you take your free writing sessions in a new direction.
Reader Questions on Writing and Publishing
Peruse questions about creative writing and publishing submitted by About.com readers -- and contribute your two cents -- with this list of FAQs.
Peruse questions about creative writing and publishing submitted by About.com readers -- and contribute your two cents -- with this list of FAQs.
The Blues Creative Writing Prompt
For this creative writing prompt, you may want a little music playing in the background for added inspiration. In a structured writing session, move from brainstorming to freewriting to writing.
For this creative writing prompt, you may want a little music playing in the background for added inspiration. In a structured writing session, move from brainstorming to freewriting to writing.
Creative Writing Exercises for Craft
No matter what stage you're at with your writing, it's always beneficial to work on craft and technique. These exercises target common problems and weaknesses.
No matter what stage you're at with your writing, it's always beneficial to work on craft and technique. These exercises target common problems and weaknesses.
How to Freewrite
Freewriting is one of the best tools for generating ideas for stories, and all you need to get started is a pen and paper.
Freewriting is one of the best tools for generating ideas for stories, and all you need to get started is a pen and paper.
Your Mother Creative Writing Prompt
A teacher of mine once used this creative writing prompt with good results. In it, you use a common phrase to jumpstart a freewriting session -- and hopefully a story or poem.
A teacher of mine once used this creative writing prompt with good results. In it, you use a common phrase to jumpstart a freewriting session -- and hopefully a story or poem.
Examples of Metaphors from Everyday Speech
We don't have to look very far to find examples of metaphor. From expressions like "raining cats and dogs" to "table leg" and "old flame," everyday speech is full of them. But why are the useful? And exactly how do they work? Discover the logic behind everyday metaphors.
We don't have to look very far to find examples of metaphor. From expressions like "raining cats and dogs" to "table leg" and "old flame," everyday speech is full of them. But why are the useful? And exactly how do they work? Discover the logic behind everyday metaphors.
Things Lost and Found Creative Writing Prompts
These creative writing prompts encourage you to delve into two of the most fertile topics for writing. Spend some time writing today -- it only takes a few minutes to get started.
These creative writing prompts encourage you to delve into two of the most fertile topics for writing. Spend some time writing today -- it only takes a few minutes to get started.
Ten-Minute Creative Writing Exercise
If you think you don't have time to write, think again. See what you can produce with a simple set of writing prompts and ten minutes of your time with this creative writing exercise.
If you think you don't have time to write, think again. See what you can produce with a simple set of writing prompts and ten minutes of your time with this creative writing exercise.
Hands: A Creative Writing Exercise in 5 Steps
For this creative writing exercise, focus on each step one by one, then use your responses to craft a story or poem.
For this creative writing exercise, focus on each step one by one, then use your responses to craft a story or poem.
Winter Counts Creative Writing Exercise
In this creative writing exercise from Alan Ziegler's The Writing Workshop Note Book, a Sioux Indian record-keeping practice called "Winter Counts" becomes a creative writing exercise.
In this creative writing exercise from Alan Ziegler's The Writing Workshop Note Book, a Sioux Indian record-keeping practice called "Winter Counts" becomes a creative writing exercise.
Pictures as Writing Prompts
Choose one of these photographs as a writing prompt for your next free writing session. In using an image you did not create, you are more likely to free associate.
Choose one of these photographs as a writing prompt for your next free writing session. In using an image you did not create, you are more likely to free associate.
Create Your Own Metaphor
Spending just a little time on metaphors and similes can spur you to make better use of them in your writing.
Spending just a little time on metaphors and similes can spur you to make better use of them in your writing.
Storyteller Exercise
This imaginative exercise inspired by one in Julia Cameron's The Right to Write encourages writers to listen for story ideas.
This imaginative exercise inspired by one in Julia Cameron's The Right to Write encourages writers to listen for story ideas.
Finding the Drama in Everyday Life: An Exercise
Author Alix Ohlin uses this creative writing exercise, set in a mattress store, to help her students find the drama in everyday life.
Author Alix Ohlin uses this creative writing exercise, set in a mattress store, to help her students find the drama in everyday life.
Point of View Writing Exercise
Unsure whether a first person or third person point of view best fits a particular piece of writing? This writing exercise will help you decide.
Unsure whether a first person or third person point of view best fits a particular piece of writing? This writing exercise will help you decide.
A Day Without Modifiers
While adjectives and adverbs can add to a story, too many, or the wrong ones, will bog down your prose and lead to the use of weaker nouns and verbs. This exercise will help tighten your prose and teach you to use modifiers to more powerful effect.
While adjectives and adverbs can add to a story, too many, or the wrong ones, will bog down your prose and lead to the use of weaker nouns and verbs. This exercise will help tighten your prose and teach you to use modifiers to more powerful effect.
Eliminating Back Story
Do your short stories tend to get bogged down in back story? By thinking like a screenwriter, you can learn to stay in the present.
Do your short stories tend to get bogged down in back story? By thinking like a screenwriter, you can learn to stay in the present.
Testing New Ideas: A Simple Strategy
How do you know if your idea is compelling? Robert McKee, in his book, Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting, has this tip for testing out a new idea.
How do you know if your idea is compelling? Robert McKee, in his book, Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting, has this tip for testing out a new idea.
Listening for Dialogue
Not everyone starts out with an ear for dialogue. This exercise gets you out to listen to how people really talk.
Not everyone starts out with an ear for dialogue. This exercise gets you out to listen to how people really talk.
Five Tips to Avoiding Total Disaster as a Novelist
Kris Saknussemm, author of Zanesville: A Novel, offers his advice on making it as a novelist, cautioning against filling notebooks with useless information and advising writers to be unreasonable.
Kris Saknussemm, author of Zanesville: A Novel, offers his advice on making it as a novelist, cautioning against filling notebooks with useless information and advising writers to be unreasonable.
Top Gifts for Writers
Having trouble selecting a gift for the writer in your life? With a little thought, you can choose a gift that your friend will cherish. This guide will get you started.
Having trouble selecting a gift for the writer in your life? With a little thought, you can choose a gift that your friend will cherish. This guide will get you started.
Idea Box
One way to ensure that you always have a place to turn for new ideas is to keep a box or notebook for phrases, conversations, or images that spark your imagination.
One way to ensure that you always have a place to turn for new ideas is to keep a box or notebook for phrases, conversations, or images that spark your imagination.
Top New Year's Resolutions for Writers
Want to set some concrete goals for the next year of your writing life? Finish the short story collection that's been gathering dust, read that classic Russian novel you've always meant to read, or just set aside some time every day to work on your craft.
Want to set some concrete goals for the next year of your writing life? Finish the short story collection that's been gathering dust, read that classic Russian novel you've always meant to read, or just set aside some time every day to work on your craft.
Invisibility Creative Writing Prompt
Imagine a scene you might observe only if you were invisible, then write down what you'd see.
Imagine a scene you might observe only if you were invisible, then write down what you'd see.