Here are over 130 ten-minute writing exercises for you to dip into and enjoy.
Approach these challenges with the minimal of mental preparation. Don't agonise over writing the "perfect" response; simply put pen to paper and start writing!
Try carrying a notebook and paper with you, for the next time you find yourself with 10 minutes to fill waiting for the bus/train/doctor/etc.
Saturday, 1 June 2013
Using a photograph as the starting point
This is Blair's Tree. If you could look closer, you'd see ribbons, faded by years of sun and rain, dangling from its lower branches. Write for 10 minutes on the story of Blair's Tree. Begin, if it helps, with the words "Blair's Tree is...."
Of course you are here, where else would you be, between the elements Absorbing the breezes and ripples, over watching the little creatures The dappled shade the perfect balance of light and dark Blair is here. I can see him now, bent over, his brown almost black back to the sun stick in one hand, eyes and mind intent on some natural phenomena absorbed by the soil, its family, what goes on here? The gentle burbling soothes and hypnotises time till it seems to stand still Just me, Blair, the sun, the world - so intimate yet silent. I don't know if he's being cruel to some little critter, perhaps sometimes But normally it looks like some deep worship Absorbed by the enormity of the minutia beneath his feet Silently absorbed, lonely yet fulfilled He joins us briefly, and talks normal human stuff awkwardly THe mumble so well known by ants and bugs does not always translate so well PErhaps we will light a fire later Just a small one, he will prod and manoeuvre till its dark and we must go home I might go get the things for tea camping tea is great - Blair loves it Yes tea is required by young men after such arduous attenborough-ing One small step, perhaps looking at the clouds, or seeing where the sun is One miss step, not looking down for once One small hard little rock on the river bank Just one minute to get tea things I'm so sorry Blair I wasn't there How come you are still here under this tree?
My best bit: "The mumble, so well known by ants and bugs"... It's a useful trick to go back through raw writing like this and circle any bits, "the diamonds in the dust", that you particularly enjoy. You can use these bits for other work, or of course rework the whole thing.
This is Blair's Tree. If you could look closer, you'd see ribbons, faded by years of sun and rain, dangling from its lower branches. Write for 10 minutes on the story of Blair's Tree. Begin, if it helps, with the words "Blair's Tree is...."
Blairs tree
ReplyDeleteOf course you are here, where else would you be, between the elements
Absorbing the breezes and ripples, over watching the little creatures
The dappled shade the perfect balance of light and dark
Blair is here.
I can see him now, bent over, his brown almost black back to the sun
stick in one hand, eyes and mind intent on some natural phenomena
absorbed by the soil, its family, what goes on here?
The gentle burbling soothes and hypnotises time till it seems to stand still
Just me, Blair, the sun, the world - so intimate yet silent.
I don't know if he's being cruel to some little critter, perhaps sometimes
But normally it looks like some deep worship
Absorbed by the enormity of the minutia beneath his feet
Silently absorbed, lonely yet fulfilled
He joins us briefly, and talks normal human stuff awkwardly
THe mumble so well known by ants and bugs
does not always translate so well
PErhaps we will light a fire later
Just a small one, he will prod and manoeuvre
till its dark and we must go home
I might go get the things for tea
camping tea is great - Blair loves it
Yes tea is required by young men after such arduous attenborough-ing
One small step, perhaps looking at the clouds, or seeing where the sun is
One miss step, not looking down for once
One small hard little rock on the river bank
Just one minute to get tea things
I'm so sorry Blair I wasn't there
How come you are still here under this tree?
My best bit: "The mumble, so well known by ants and bugs"...
ReplyDeleteIt's a useful trick to go back through raw writing like this and circle any bits, "the diamonds in the dust", that you particularly enjoy. You can use these bits for other work, or of course rework the whole thing.