As I was preparing to launch my online creative writing programme, I posted one writing activity per day on social media, and I loved the responses I received.
Writing activities can be so much fun, and not just for children. They work just as well for adults who want to sit down and start writing too! Here are the first five; you could do one a day for the next five days to get you started.
Surprising Similes
This one is always a favourite!
During a creative writing session, I asked a child to complete the simile as annoying as ____
“As annoying as my sister,” she replied.
I know that this child has a brother and a sister, so I asked, chuckling, “Is your sister more annoying than your brother?”
There was a small pause as she looked up. He was, possibly, in the room. She gave a tiny smile and said, “No, but it’s his birthday today.”
Have fun with your similes!
Funny Fairytales
We used this one recently too, and just by accident! I invited Nalini Sorensen to conduct a guest session for my online creative writing programme, and we worked on fairy tales with a twist. The children came up with all kinds of ideas, which I loved!
One rewrote Cinderella’s story as a modern tale. The prince tweeted about a ball at Buckingham Palace, Cinderella went in comfy clothes, but stepped in doggy doo, so she couldn’t be bothered to take her slipper home.
Another rewrote Snow White’s story from the mirror’s point of view.
I’m still waiting to read the rest!
Alliteration Activity
Tongue twisters are a fun way to work with alliteration, and I’ve used tongue twisters during more workshops than I can count.
I remember a session I attended with Craig Smith at the AFCC, where he spoke about how tongue twisters make us laugh for no real reason. His The Wonky Donkey is a classic example of one of those – you can’t help chuckling at the stinky, cranky, honky-tonky, winky wonky donkey!
Free Writing
Free writing takes many forms, and during workshops, I work on longer versions of this activity, pushing participants to create humour and not overthink their ideas.
Editing while we write can be crippling. I know that from experience too! I keep trying to make my first sentence perfect, and then it moves on to the first paragraph and then the first chapter. More often than not, all that work is wasted because as the book goes on, the chapter needs to be rewritten from scratch.
Free writing exercises are a step towards letting go of our writing and moving on!
Magical Mirror
During a creative writing masterclass conducted by Prof Bill Herbert, we did a wonderful activity that remains crystal clear in my memory, even though I attended the class five years ago. Prof Herbert asked us to imagine a portal, any sort of portal.
This is an activity I use often during creative writing workshops where many children enjoy writing fantasy. What could your portal be? What would take you from this world to another?
I’m always astounded at the number of mirrors I encounter during these workshops. Mirrors are a kind of magic, aren’t they? Or at least, we’re determined to make them so!
A colleague once told me, only half joking, art is 99% robbery. That’s true about workshops and training sessions too! Feel free to rob these ideas and use them as you will. Download the images or copy them out to use in class, for yourself, or with children who want to write!
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