From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Moral Dilemmas
Today’s creative writing exercise comes from 101 Creative Writing Exercises, a book I wrote on the craft of writing. This book takes you on an adventure through creative writing. You’ll explore different forms and genres of writing, including freewriting, journaling, memoir, fiction, storytelling, poetry, and article or blog writing. 101 Creative Writing Exercises imparts proven…Read More
Poetry Writing Exercise: Creative Wordplay
Charles Dickens invented the word boredom. Sylvia Plath coined the term dreamscape. William Shakespeare gave us bandit, swagger, and gossip, along with over 1,700 other words that previously didn’t exist in the English lexicon. Writers have a long history of inventing new words, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. When we encounter an idea or…Read More
Storytelling Exercise: Tone and Mood
Today I’d like to share an excerpt from Story Drills: Fiction Writing Exercises, which helps beginning to intermediate storytellers develop fiction writing skills. This exercise is from chapter sixty, and it’s called “Tone and Mood.” Enjoy! Tone and Mood Tone and mood give a story a sense of atmosphere—how a story feels—its emotional sensibility. Atmosphere is…Read More
From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Chekhov’s Gun
Today’s post is from my book, 101 Creative Writing Exercises, which is available from your favorite online bookseller in paperback or as an ebook. This is from chapter six: “Storytelling,” and it’s called “Chekhov’s Gun.” Enjoy! Chekhov’s Gun Chekhov’s Gun is a literary device in which an element is mentioned in a story and its…Read More
From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Haiku
Today’s writing exercise comes from my book, 101 Creative Writing Exercises, which takes writers on an exciting journey through different forms and genres while providing writing techniques, practical experience, and inspiration. Each chapter focuses on a different form or writing concept: freewriting, journaling, memoirs, fiction, storytelling, form poetry, free verse, characters, dialogue, creativity, and article and…Read More
Storytelling Exercise: Three Acts
Today’s storytelling exercise is an excerpt from my book, Story Drills, which is filled with fiction-writing exercises that impart basic techniques of storytelling. Today’s exercise is from chapter forty-five. It’s called “Three Acts.” Enjoy! The three-act structure is one of the simplest and most effective ways to outline or analyze a story and its structure….Read More
From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Your Gang
Today’s writing exercise comes from my book, 101 Creative Writing Exercises, which takes you on an adventure through the world of writing. You’ll explore different forms and genres while learning practical writing techniques. You’ll also get plenty of writing experience and ideas for publishable projects. Each chapter focuses on a different form or writing concept: free…Read More
From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Couplets and Quatrains
Today’s writing exercise comes from 101 Creative Writing Exercises, which takes writers on an adventure through different forms and genres while offering tools, techniques, and inspiration for writing. Each chapter focuses on a different form or writing concept: freewriting, journaling, memoirs, fiction, storytelling, form poetry, free verse, characters, dialogue, creativity, and article and blog writing are…Read More
Storytelling Exercise: Motif
Today’s storytelling exercise is an excerpt from my book, Story Drills, which is packed with fiction-writing exercises designed to impart the basic techniques of storytelling. Today’s exercise is from chapter thirty-five. It’s called “Motif.” Enjoy! Motif A motif is a recurring idea, element, or symbol in a story. A story can have multiple motifs, and…Read More
From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: The Great Debate
Today’s post is from 101 Creative Writing Exercises. This exercise is from “Chapter 9: Philosophy, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving.” It’s called “The Great Debate.” Enjoy! Logic, order, and organization are essential in clear and coherent writing, whether you’re telling a story or writing a poem. Critical thinking is a fundamental writing skill. If a…Read More



