Creative Writing Exercises

We know that folks have a bit more time these days, so we put together some fun writing exercises that we can do together in our homes. Let us know how you make out by emailing us your work (actionread@gmail.com) or sharing it in the comments section below. 

Most people define creative writing as writing that is original and self-expressive. We want to share our experiences, feelings and just entertain others through story telling. It allows us to use our imaginations!

Learners at a creative writing retreat with Karen Houle back in 2014

Creative writing comes in many forms. It could be a poem, lyrics to a song, a play, short story or a personal essay.

We all have many life experiences; a great vacation you had with family or a friend, some learning experience you want to share with others, or you can just make something up! Create your own story line and characters.

Most creative writing pieces will have some kind of theme or message to give, even if the author didn’t mean to. By telling a story, you can also teach lessons.

One of most important parts of creative writing is to be very descriptive. You want your reader to be able to form a visual picture of the setting and characters that you create.

Creative Writing Exercise 1

Describe your day from the moment you get up. Use your creative writing skills to describe even the dullest things like brushing your teeth, cooking dinner and walking the dog. Use descriptive words that will help us picture your daily routine.

Creative Writing Exercise 2

Create a character. Tells us what they look like, where do they live and what their personality is like. 

Creative Writing Exercise 3

With the character you have now created, describe their emotions. Are they sad, happy, frustrated, angry? What is happening to make them feel this way?

Creative Writing Exercise 4

Let’s write about the Tooth Fairy. Start from the beginning. How did she end up becoming the tooth fairy? What does she look like? Where does she live? What is her job? Is there one tooth fairy, or a whole army of hardworking pixies? Continue the story until they get their first tooth!

Poetry

Poetry can be one of the most difficult types of creative writing. Poetry attempts to stir your imagination and emotions. There are many different types of poetry. Below are the most common types:

· Sonnets are short rhyming poems usually with 10 – 14 lines.

· Acrostic poems are where the first letter of each line spells a word that fits the theme of the poem.

· The epic poem is long and tells about adventures of a hero or heroine.

· Free verse poems don’t follow any rules.

Poetry Exercise 1

Write a short poem about the picture below using any of the above formats. Use your imagination to tell a story.

Poetry Exercise #2

Using the ‘acrostic’ format and the word ‘friends’, create a unique poem.

F ______________________________________

R ______________________________________

I _______________________________________

E ______________________________________

N ______________________________________

D ______________________________________

S _______________________________________

Poetry Exercise #3

In ‘free verse’ style, write about something you are passionate about!

For More Ideas and Support

Check out the Guelph Public Library’s eLearning page. There are some great FREE creative writing courses. Get a group of friends to sign up with you and enjoy!

https://education.gale.com/l-guelphpl/SearchResults.aspx?

Share your work with us!

Have fun! Once you get started – it can be hard to stop. 

Email us at actionread@gmail.com if you want us to give you feedback on your work and / or if you just want to share it with others.  Or you can share it with others directly in the comments below. Whatever you do - share! After all, if a bird calls in the forest, does anybody hear? We said yes!

Happy writing!