Writing Exercises

A list of exercises to improve the writing quality

Copy Others’ Writing

Since to become better we need to both read and write, recreating good pieces of text allows us to analyse the fragment, and get used to writing in such a way.

Re-write Good Fragments

Note down the most important points of a written piece, then try to write it yourself. After you finish compare your result with the original.

Freewriting

Set a goal of filling a number of pages or writing for set amount of time and just write down whatever comes to mind, fill the pages with words. This practice is meant to help with mental clarity and unlocking the ability to write

Reaction Writing

Find something that evokes emotion in you and write your reactions to it, they don’t need to form a coherent narrative. The goal is to spark thought and creativity

Describe Settings in Person

Capture a location you are in - observe your surroundings and make bullet points, capture features for each sense. Later write a paragraph describing the setting. This will help in creating immersive and realistic settings.

Use a New Word in Your Daily Practice

To develop your vocabulary find a new word for the day, try to use it in few sentences and then use it in your writing.

Edit Others Writing

Find an unfinished or unedited piece of writing and edit it. Try to understand what is it trying to accomplish and make notes on how to reach that goal. If the piece is posted for advice make suggestions to the author, word the comments positively.

Write with Limitations

Impose a constraint on your writing to give you a different focus and an interesting challenge.
- Without adverbs or adjectives
- Without using passive voice
- Without using a common letter
- With certain line length
- Without pronouns

Expand on a Piece

Take a sentence or a fragment of a favourite story and write a bigger piece with it

Write from Different Perspectives

Take on new points of view to explore the characters. Describe one situation from multiple points of view or take on an objects perspective to create a detached effect or give the object a personality

Create a Metaphor List

Create two columns, in one write concrete nouns and in the second only abstract ideas. Choose a random item from each of the columns and create a metaphor with them. Get into the metaphor and explain it i.e. “Love is like a pillow, it can comfort, or it can smother”