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This week’s exercises were adapted from Jennifer Serravallo’s “The Writing Strategies Book,” which is written for teachers of students in grades K-8. Did you ever get a writing assignment back from your teacher covered in red marks? If that bothered you, you’ll love this book. Serravallo’s book doesn’t teach writing through evisceration. Instead, it employs writing assessments to help the student determine learning goals and choose writing strategies to practice. The book was an inspiration for this newsletter and its focus on practicing skills rather than correcting “mistakes” or giving advice. The ideas from the book fit perfectly among this week’s exercises.
First we learned that it’s okay to vent before writing. Then we took inspiration from everyday phrases, and used questions to guide our writing. We practiced writing scenes with a sense of urgency, shifted between telling emotions and showing them, and practiced different levels of diction. Finally, we tried writing with negation and without.
I really enjoyed putting together this week’s exercises. For anyone who teaches writing or reading, I recommend Jennifer Serravallo’s books.
Monday, Apr 22 2024
A Time and Place for Venting
Exercise #190 Use Writing to Clear Your Mind
Strategy: We've all been there—you sit down to write, but your mind is buzzing with distractions and emotional turmoil. It's like trying to write with a swarm of bees hovering around your head. Embrace the chaos in your heart! Set aside a few minutes to vent about your problems in writing and help clear your mind. It may seem counterintuitive to indulge in a bit of complaining when you've made a commitment to write, but trust me, it works!
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024
It Is What It Is
Exercise #191 Inspiration from Everyday Sayings
Strategy: Are you staring at a blank page, waiting for that earth-shattering idea to strike? Well, what if I told you that the key to unlocking your creativity lies in the most unexpected place—the ordinary? That's right, in this exercise, we'll discover how a simple, everyday phrase can spark a unique and engaging story idea. By incorporating a common phrase you hear throughout your day into a scene, you'll explore how the language of the mundane can lead to the extraordinary.
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2024
Questionable Topics
Exercise #192 Guiding Your Writing with Questions
Strategy: Feeling stuck in the idea department? Don't worry, it happens to the best of us! The key to unlocking your creative potential lies in asking the right questions. It may seem counterintuitive to write when you feel like you have nothing to write about, but by articulating the questions that are on your mind, you'll be amazed at how quickly the ideas start flowing.
Thursday, Apr 25, 2024
A Sense of Urgency
Exercise #193 Exploring Character Urgency
Strategy: Picture this: you're reading a story, and suddenly, you find yourself yawning and checking your phone. The advice? Keep your readers on the edge of their seats with urgency. But you also need to give readers (and your characters) a chance to catch their breath. Fear not, aspiring writers! In this exercise, we'll master the art of creating engaging and dynamic scenes by exploring different levels of urgency. By practicing the modulation of urgency, you'll learn to craft stories that keep your readers hooked from beginning to end.
Friday, Apr 26, 2024
Showing Emotional Tells
Exercise #194 Exploring Emotional Descriptions
Strategy: Let’s elevate your emotional repertoire. We all know the struggle: you feel it, but can you make your readers feel it too? It's time to break free from the same old, same old and paint a vibrant emotional portrait! In this exercise, we'll embrace the clichés and then transform them into fresh, evocative expressions. Unleash your emotions and create stories that tug at the heartstrings like never before!
Saturday, Apr 27, 2024
I'm Not One to Boast
Exercise #195 Practicing Levels of Diction
Strategy: You've got a story to tell, but how do you make it resonate with different audiences? It's like trying to serve a meal to whiney culinary experts and a bunch of picky toddlers. The secret ingredient? Mastering the art of diction! In this exercise, we'll create a character who wants to boast to everyone they meet, from friends, to colleagues, to superiors and children alike, and maybe even in their memoires.
Sunday, Apr 28, 2024
Exploring Negative Space
Exercise #196 Using But Not Abusing Negation
Strategy: Do you ever find yourself struggling to describe something? Maybe you dance around the subject, describing what it’s not. Well, get ready to embrace the power of negation! In this exercise, we'll explore how negative statements can create a sense of intrigue and atmosphere in your writing. Then we’ll contrast this with more precise positive statements. Are you ready to say "yes" to the power of "no" in your writing?
Our next weekly theme will focus on time.