Five Creative Writing Exercises | Post

It’s okay to fail NaNoWriMo. Writing is a process. At least I hope it is or I’m out of luck. Writing, like just about anything else in life, is a skill you can practice and get better at. So if you are feeling down about your lack of progress this NaNo, or just want to continue practicing your craft, this is the video for you. Why? Cause I’m in the same boat. I’m just practicing my craft and plan on doing these exercises along the way.

Videos of me doing it

• Random Image Generator

Google any random image generator or start with this one. This is an easy place to start and requires no written prompt. Simply find an image that inspires you and create a story/build a scene around it.

• The hero! What is the most heroic tribute you can think of? How many layers can you peel away until you reach the core of the trait?

It might answer questions about who you are as a creator too. Do you see courage as the defining characteristic of a hero, or empathy, or maybe brute force like Hercules.

• Put yourself in a room and describe the setting using all 5 senses.

Use your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and touch for this scene. Do you taste metal and cold saliva? Hear the wooden floorboards creaking from the draft. Think of a space, even if it’s just your living room, and include all your senses.

• Character Creation and Bio

This is how I start my stories and books. I use the character bio in scrivener and it helps me create unique fears, conflicts, and motivations for my characters. Personally, I find motivation to be the most intriguing driving force in a story and spend a lot of time focusing on that.

• Three wishes: Your character wakes a genie and gets three wishes. What are they and write a scene showing the consequences of that wish.

Just for fun, create a proactive character and figure out their greatest desires and the positive/negative consequences that follow when their wish is granted.

So there you have it. Five exercises to hone your craft. Comment below with your results. I’m by no stretch of the imagination a master of this craft and am always excited to meet new writers to improve with.