Writing exercises

The Syllabic Childhood of James Brown

This is the first exercise I give to my under-grad Poetry Writing class (CREW253). There’s plenty…
SWITCHEROO with Bernadette Hall

Why not imagine you’re someone else, speak in another voice, from another time, from another side…
This writing exercise gives you license to be completely unoriginal.

by Joan Fleming If you think about it, unoriginality is everywhere. A fair chunk of some…
Because – Bernard says so

This exercise is about developing a particular habit when it comes to thinking about narrative development,…
Famous People, with Lawrence Patchett.

When I opened The Exercise Book I went straight to Gavin McGibbon’s ‘Famous Person’ exercise. There…
Radical Revision by Helen Heath

In 2005 Nick Twemlow and Robyn Schiff led a one-day poetry workshop at the IIML. The…
Repetition by Lynn Davidson

Poets weren’t always writers. Like musicians, they were originally performers as well who created invisible worlds…
Twelve Poetry Prompts from the mistress of lists – Cath Vidler

1. Choose an interior-orientated object (e.g. a framed tapestry, a desk lamp) and place it in…
Then my mother turned to me and said…

Here’s a writing exercise from Gigi Fenster called ‘Then my mother turned to me and said…’…
Window on the World

I know I didn’t make this exercise up, and there are lots of different versions out…