Hey everyone,
As we’re fast approaching the end of summer, now’s the time to rush in some extra writing before the busyness of fall comes upon us and we’re trying to squeeze in a minute or two for writing. But if you’re like me you might be suffering some form of writer’s block or writer’s burnout. Personally, when I can’t seem to put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard) I like to have a writing assignment. An assignment takes away the pressure of having to use all my imagination and wit to come up with an idea or plan. So on that note I thought I’d leave you with a few more writing challenges that hopefully will jump start your writing juices! (For my first three challenges check out this post here.)
Challenge #1: Take on the persona of an inanimate object near you.
This might seem silly at first, but bringing life to an inanimate object can be a fun writing assignment. Just think of the personality you could give a toaster? Maybe write from the perspective of a ceiling fan overlooking business life below or try out writing from the point of view of a kitchen knife–the horror of murder or the horror of slicing meat when the knife is a vegetarian! Ekk! So look around, spot
your object, and write! The creative works might not turn into anything substantial, but it’ll have you writing and warming up those imagination skills!
Challenge #2: Pick 5 random words & use them in a piece.
This challenge came up in my creative writing poetry class three semesters ago. It became a popular prompt with my friend Kara and soon I became addicted when I needed to write something but couldn’t think of where to start. We were given 8 or 10 random words in class and asked to write a poem using all the words along with a 15-lines restriction. My friend Kara later adapted the challenge to making whoever she was sitting around to write down a word and then she preceded to write a short story or poem using the words (no line restriction). For this challenge I thought 5 would be a good number although you certainly can add more. You can pick the random words yourself or have people around you suggest a word. Try to get a mix of verbs, adverbs, nouns and adjectives to keep things interesting. I know this challenge has probably already been suggested or sounds eerily similar to MadLibs, but its a nice writing exercise for you to warm up with.
Challenge #3: Rewrite your favorite scene from a movie, TV show, play or book.
Yes, I know this sounds rather fan-fictiony, but give it a try. Use the prompt as a challenge to see if you can make the scene even better or go Pride and Prejudice and Zombies on it! If you want to make it easier, take a scene you hate and rewrite it how you would have wanted it to turn out. Try to make the piece your own. This way you are not only sharping your writing skills by imitating another writer (if they’re a good writer that is), you are also learning how to move past merely imitation and into forming your own voice. If you already have found your voice, this challenge could help you better distinguish it among other writers and maybe see which genre or form your voice fits best into!
I hope these latest challenges helped! Happy Writing!
Are you currently experiencing writer’s block or writer’s burnout? What are some of your favorite prompts? How do you beat writer’s block?
xo,
NicoleLynn
@PopCrunchBoom
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