First Things First

Recently, someone cried out into the vast spaces of the internet, "Can't somebody offer me some writing exercises for aspiring writers?"

Like Superman, my super-ears tingled to the clarion (not to be confused with the Science-Fiction writing seminar with a similar name) cry. Actually, my usual alter-ego for this kind of thing is MONUMENTA, FEMINARCH OF THE MULTIVERSE!, but she is not likely to be helpful in this case, as her preferred solution to any problem is to blast it with a thunderbolt, and I am sure you will agree that would be overkill under the circumstances.

So, relying on my experience teaching Fundamentals of Writing--which I did for two years at Eastern Washington University--I am going to offer a few suggestions to beginning writers who want to write--book, novel, nonfiction etc.--but feel they need some basic skills. Remember, this is for the raw recruits. Old campaigners need not apply (except to make helpful suggestions in the comments section if you wish).

I am going to suggest a notebook (groans from audience). WAIT! Don't click your back button yet! This notebook is going to be the first draft of your book! See? You're writing already!

I'm going to assume you already have a topic, genre, or the vague outline of a story. I generally recommend a really detailed outline of your story, but that's a tome for another time.

Let's start bright and early Monday morning--or on your lunch break or at 11pm after the kids have finally gone to bed. You sit down with a cup of coffee (or a nice relaxing cocoa or chamomile tea). You flip open your notebook...er, I mean...open a new file in your "Writing" directory. In ten words or less, put down a title: a single scene/topic which you intend to include in your book, ie, Dangerous blonde walks into detective office, Hero rides into ghost town, aliens land in Wyoming, education necessary to become an astronaut, work hazards in an accounting office etc.

One scene only. If you have to include the word "and" then you are trying to write two scenes. No good.

If you haven't got that far in your planning yet, no problem. Write down, "Protagonist" or "Villain" or "Fantasy Adventure" Anything to do with the story, or the KIND of story, you would like to write.

(this works fine for short-storyists, too, but don't try to do it all at once. One itty-bitty scene a time, thank you very much!)

If you're a non-fictioneer, you might write down the general topic: Engineering, modern dance, writing a blog for new writers who want to write a book etc.

Now, for the next ten minutes, you are going to "free-write" without stopping. Your fingers will never stop rattling the keys or scratching that pen across the page. Ten FULL minutes. If your mind goes blank, write, Gosh darn it, my mind is a total freakin' blank, over and over for ten FULL minutes. If you never really get going, you can, go back and reset your timer for five minutes--or two. Anybody can write for two minutes at a time.

Whew! Not so bad, right? Ha ha, but you're not done for the day. No sir. Now, go through your free-write and highlight or circle three points, ideas or images that seem important or particularly interesting. Or one. If you can't find even one, no worries--you can try another free-write session on the same topic.

Now pick the best of those three ideas and...wait for it...You guessed it, ANOTHER ten-minute free-write on that idea!

Whew! There you go, you've done your assignment for the day. At this point, I like to reward myself with a shiny gold sticky-star on my calendar. It's surprising how gratifying it can be for a grown woman to admire that glittering little award and look forward to getting another one tomorrow.

PS. You can expect to do this every Monday for approximately the rest of your life.