Meredith Sue Willis

Writing Exercises

Go Directly to Current Exercise

Dear Visitor,
I am a veteran teacher of writing to everyone from university level to little kids.I offer these writing exercises in the spirit of the Internet as a place for a new kind of community of sharing and exchange. I call them "exercises" rather than "prompts" or "lessons" because I think of them as ways to strengthen the writing muscles that you already have and as ways to expand your range of techniques. The execises are free, but if you want to give something back, please read some of my online fiction or take a look at my books. I also offer suggestions for small and tiny press books that you might want to read or purchase as gifts: see giftbooks. I also teach private classes online as well as public classes at New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and, finally, I have a free newsletter you can get by sending an e-mail to: Readerbooks-subscribe@topica.com . You may also read it at Books for Readers . I appreciate feedback-- which exercises were useful to you? Do have suggestions for me to share with others on this site?

-- Meredith Sue Willis

Current Exercise

Try a description of a real person or a character using the pattern Anthony Trollope (photograph below) used to use in his character sketches. Trollope was a Victorian British writer who wrote wonderfully popular books full of heroic and cruel and hilarious people from all walks of life. For an example, see Mr. Slope, a clergyman:.

Begin by describing something something positive, then undercut it with a negative detail-- or a negative interpretation of the positive one. Perhaps the flowery perfume masks bad teeth and a nasty attitude...

Then, do the same thing but opposite: describe someone who is, on the surface, not very attractive, but as the description goes on, lots of good characteristics are revealed: a kindly smile, delicious treats in the pocket of the old fashioned apron, etc.

Writing Hints

The biggest hint of all is to find a time in your life for regular writing. It doesn't matter if it's every day or every week-end or six weeks in the summer-- you need a period of time you can depend on. You may also occasionally get an inspiration that sends you rushing off to your notebook or computer, and that is great, but it is an extra-- a gift from the universe! To edit and revise and continue and finish work, you'll need that regular place and time.

Separate your critical brain from your drafting brain. Try writing at least three paragraphs (or even better, three pages) before you go back and fiddle with the words. If possible, don't read over what you wrote today until tomorrow or at least after lunch. It will be much easier to make changes.

Some words to avoid: There are certain words and phrases, all perfectly good English, that I avoid in my writing. I find that I have in the past overused them, probably because I actually like them. One word I have sworn off is “shard.” "Shard" sounds like what it is, a broken piece of something, but I’ve come to over-use it. It seemed like every time a glass broke or sun was refracted through a window in my prose, I would call it “shards of glass” or, metaphorically, “shards of light.” I also avoid “smirk” except in really particular circumstances, preferring the more neutral “grin” or “sneer.”“Smirk” has an almost comic book quality for me, so I have to really careful of it. I also avoid certain phrases I used to love as a beginning writer: "visibly shaken" was one I used to look for excuses to use, as in "When she heard him say her name, she was visibly shaken." When I was a child, I adored "gathered up her skirts!" That's got to be what Cinderella did when she fled the Ball, and I was always looking for excuses to have someone gather up her skirts and run away. Do you have such words and phrases on your personal Avoid list?

Try not to do just one thing if you can do more than one. Don't give the information that he ate a steak, rather, show both that he ate a steak and that he was angry when he was eating it: "He stabbed his fork into the slab of sirloin and and slashed off a piece with his knife."

After you've written your draft, go through it looking to see if all the essential conflicts have been dramatized. This is an especially good technique if you feel that your dialogue is flat or boring. Put the dramatized conflicts into the dialogue.

Put thinking, contemplation, and dramatized flashback scenes at a point in your story where it would be natural in real life too: riding a train, lying awake at night when the character can’t sleep, etc.

Click here for hints from writers, editors, and agents.

And here for what some writers have to say about writing and literature.

More Free Writing Exercises below and here :

Exercises 1- 20

Exercises 21- 40

Exercses 41 - 60

Exercises 61-80

Exercises 81-100

Exercises 101 - 120

Exercises 121 - 140

Here's something new that looks like fun: Snapfiction.com offers a writing exercise "challenge" every week--give it a try!

Here's something especially for teachers-- a free writing prompt of the month: http://www.unr.edu/educ/nnwp/Mini_Lesson_of_the_Month_Club.htm

Looking for Poetry Writing Exercises? Writenet at Teachers & Writers has some good ones originally planned for young people, but they would make great starters for anyone

For writing exercises for children, click here. Teens can use the ones on this page, or look at my page for teens.

Here's a link to a really interesting haiku exercise from Timothy Russell.

And then there is making fun of writing prompts:McSweeney's has a fairly funny take-off called "Thirteen Writing Prompts" by Dan Wienceck

Rita Marie Keller has a blog called Buried Treasures that is full of writing prompts and links to more writing prompts. " Essays and writing exercises to help you uncover the great writing ideas you already have."

Exercise # 161

Featured Book

Quilt Pieces , a new edition of the 1990 chapbook with poems by Jane Wilson Joyce and Meredith Sue Willis's
most anthologized short story, "Family Knots."

....the story “Family Knots” by novelist Meredith Sue Willis sketches the life of a turn-of-the-century quilt artist who succeeded in blooming where she was planted in rural Appalachia. With determination and daring she pieces her way though difficult relationships, heavy responsibilities, and changing times, always searching for elusive scraps of color that will bring her dreams and patterns to life. Give yourself a gift of renewal in the jewel of a book.

-- Carol Crowley, Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine

For those who love quilts, for those who love accomplished writing, and for those who love both, this small book will come as a gift.

– Sojourner

...a short, comforting, poignant reading, much like the experience of the piecing, quilting, and family stitchery the work describes.

— Ann Kilkelly, Ace Magazine

Order directly from the publisher for
$12.50 plus $2.00 to help with postage:

GNOMON PRESS
P.O. Box 475
Frankfort, KY 40602-0475

Subscribe to Meredith Sue Willis's Free Newsletter
for Readers and Writers:

Subscribe!

Enter your email to join ReaderBooks today!

Send mail

Photos found on the various pages of this web site may be used by anyone, but please attribute the source when it is specified.

Biography Blog Books for Readers Contact Home Kids MSW Info MSW's Books Online Classes Order Books MSW Online Resources for Writers Teens Workshops Writing Exercises

Meredith Sue Willis

Author and Teacher

Best All Around Resources for Writers: New Pages

Send Mail to MSW

2008 Blog (Blog archives, click here) Blog Archives 1st half 2006 Blog Archives 2nd half 2006 Blog archives 2005 Blog Archives 2004

New Book for Kids Billie of Fish House Lane From Montemayor Press Read a chapter: Click on Catalogue, Literature for Children

A literary Map of West Virginia!

Some Literary/Book Review Blogs Reading Red Maud Newton Tayari Jones Lit mob My newsletter: Books for Readers

Writers' Links & Resources Resources for writers How Artists Get Paid Int. Women's Writing Guild New Publishing Paradigm Quotations from Writers about Writing Resources for writers Thunderburst Edwards Bros. Printers Things for Writers to Read

Poetry & More Tool for Finding Poems Online Americcan Life in Poetry Poetry Daily Writers Almanac

Writing by MSW Online Fiction Online Nonfiction Article on Revision Article on Dialogue Getting Published Reviews Books Adult Fiction Books for Children Books on Writing Free Newsletter for Readers

Writers' Websites: You need one!

FamilyOriented Websites Ellen Kahaner's Mural class Reading and Traveling with Kids

More Jeremy Osner

Photos and Art Linda Adato Tim Barnwell Appalachian Images Rachel Burgess Charlie Cowger In this Light: A Blog of Images and Narrative Ann Olson Rochelle Ratner Kevin Scanlon Duane Smith Randi Ward Ella Yang

Want some great graphics? http://ann-s-thesia.com/

Music& Mixed Media Websites Peter Sciaino Deep Listening

More Links

Writing Exercises

-- Meredith Sue Willis

Current Exercise

Writing Hints

Separate your critical brain from your drafting brain. Try writing at least three paragraphs (or even better, three pages) before you go back and fiddle with the words. If possible, don't read over what you wrote today until tomorrow or at least after lunch. It will be much easier to make changes.

Try not to do just one thing if you can do more than one. Don't give the information that he ate a steak, rather, show both that he ate a steak and that he was angry when he was eating it: "He stabbed his fork into the slab of sirloin and and slashed off a piece with his knife."

After you've written your draft, go through it looking to see if all the essential conflicts have been dramatized. This is an especially good technique if you feel that your dialogue is flat or boring. Put the dramatized conflicts into the dialogue.

Put thinking, contemplation, and dramatized flashback scenes at a point in your story where it would be natural in real life too: riding a train, lying awake at night when the character can’t sleep, etc.

Click here for hints from writers, editors, and agents.

And here for what some writers have to say about writing and literature.

More Free Writing Exercises below and here :

Exercises 1- 20

Exercises 21- 40

Exercses 41 - 60

Exercises 61-80

Exercises 81-100

Exercises 101 - 120

Exercises 121 - 140

Here's something new that looks like fun: Snapfiction.com offers a writing exercise "challenge" every week--give it a try!

Here's something especially for teachers-- a free writing prompt of the month: http://www.unr.edu/educ/nnwp/Mini_Lesson_of_the_Month_Club.htm

Looking for Poetry Writing Exercises? Writenet at Teachers & Writers has some good ones originally planned for young people, but they would make great starters for anyone

For writing exercises for children, click here. Teens can use the ones on this page, or look at my page for teens.

Here's a link to a really interesting haiku exercise from Timothy Russell.

And then there is making fun of writing prompts:McSweeney's has a fairly funny take-off called "Thirteen Writing Prompts" by Dan Wienceck

Rita Marie Keller has a blog called Buried Treasures that is full of writing prompts and links to more writing prompts. " Essays and writing exercises to help you uncover the great writing ideas you already have."

Featured Book

Quilt Pieces , a new edition of the 1990 chapbook with poems by Jane Wilson Joyce and Meredith Sue Willis's most anthologized short story, "Family Knots."

Subscribe to Meredith Sue Willis's Free Newsletter for Readers and Writers:

Subscribe! Enter your email to join ReaderBooks today!

Photos found on the various pages of this web site may be used by anyone, but please attribute the source when it is specified.

In the Mountains of America (Appalachian Short Stories )

Dwight's House and Other Stories (Short Stories)

Oradell at Sea (Novel)

The City Built of Starships (Science Fiction)

Quilt Pieces (chapbook)

Higher Ground (Novel-- First book of the Blair Morgan Trilogy)

Only Great Changes (Novel-- Second book of the Blair Morgan Trilogy)

Trespassers (Novel-- Final book of the Blair Morgan Trilogy)

A Space Apart (MSW's First Novel-- reprint edition)

Billie of Fish House Lane (Novel for Children )

The Secret Super Powers of Marco (Novel for Children )

Marco's Monster (Novel for Children )

Blazing Pencils (How-to-Write Book for Students )

Personal Fiction Writing (How-to-Write for Teachers & Writers )

Deep Revision (How-to-Write for Teachers & Writers )

2008 Blog
(Blog archives, click here)
Blog Archives 1st half 2006
Blog Archives 2nd half 2006
Blog archives 2005
Blog Archives 2004

New Book for Kids
Billie of Fish House Lane
From Montemayor Press
Read a chapter:
Click on Catalogue,
Literature for Children

A literary Map of
West Virginia!

Some Literary/Book Review Blogs
Reading Red
Maud Newton
Tayari Jones
Lit mob
My newsletter: Books for Readers

Writers' Links
& Resources
Resources for writers

How Artists Get Paid
Int. Women's Writing Guild
New Publishing Paradigm
Quotations from Writers about Writing
Resources for writers
Thunderburst
Edwards Bros. Printers
Things for Writers to Read

Poetry & More
Tool for Finding Poems Online
Americcan Life in Poetry
Poetry Daily
Writers Almanac

Writing by MSW
Online Fiction
Online Nonfiction
Article on Revision
Article on Dialogue
Getting Published
Reviews
Books
Adult Fiction
Books for Children
Books on Writing
Free Newsletter
for Readers

FamilyOriented Websites
Ellen Kahaner's Mural class
Reading and Traveling with Kids

More
Jeremy Osner

Photos and Art
Linda Adato
Tim Barnwell Appalachian Images
Rachel Burgess
Charlie Cowger
In this Light: A Blog of Images and Narrative
Ann Olson
Rochelle Ratner
Kevin Scanlon
Duane Smith
Randi Ward
Ella Yang

Want some great graphics?
http://ann-s-thesia.com/

Music& Mixed Media Websites
Peter Sciaino
Deep Listening

Quilt Pieces , a new edition of the 1990 chapbook with poems by Jane Wilson Joyce and Meredith Sue Willis's
most anthologized short story, "Family Knots."

Subscribe to Meredith Sue Willis's Free Newsletter
for Readers and Writers:

Subscribe!

Enter your email to join ReaderBooks today!

Dwight's House and Other Stories
(Short Stories)

Oradell at Sea
(Novel)

The City Built of Starships
(Science Fiction)

Higher Ground
(Novel-- First book of the Blair Morgan Trilogy)

Only Great Changes
(Novel-- Second book of the Blair Morgan Trilogy)

Trespassers
(Novel-- Final book of the Blair Morgan Trilogy)

A Space Apart
(MSW's First Novel-- reprint edition)

Billie of Fish
House Lane
(Novel for Children )

The Secret Super
Powers of Marco
(Novel for Children )

Marco's Monster
(Novel for Children )

Blazing Pencils
(How-to-Write
Book for Students )

Personal Fiction Writing
(How-to-Write for Teachers & Writers )

Deep Revision
(How-to-Write for Teachers & Writers )