Writing Prompts and Exercises (in Class)

This is a hands-on class were students will be asked to write. I try to influence their writing as little as possible during this half hour. The students will be given an idea or a quote or a sentence to start their writing and then are encouraged to write by themselves as much as possible. They are encouraged to share their writing with me and their peers. I try to give positive feedback and sometimes a gentle nudge in a new direction. But students are not being taught a lesson in this class. 

The main goal is to keep students writing and thinking about their stories and their characters. It is also a way to explore some creative outlets that students might not have considered on their own. The more the student understands his/her character, the better they can share that info. with the reader. Students may not ever put their character's trash into the actual story, but knowing that their character likes to go to the movies (ticket stubs) or has a tendency to get bloody noses are details that will help connect the author to the character and eventually, the reader to the character.