The 2021 Writing Series is a series of daily writing exercises for both prose writers and poets to keep their creative mind stretched and ready to go—fresh for your other writing endeavors. The writing prompts take the impetus—that initial crystal of creation—out of your hands (for the most part) and changes your writing creation into creative problem solving. Instead of being preoccupied with the question "What do I write" you are instead pondering "How do I make this work?" And in the process you are producing new writing.
This is not a standard writing session. This is pure production—to keep your brain thinking about using language to solve simple or complex problems. The worst thing you can do is sit there inactive. It's like taking a 5 minute breather in the middle of a spin class—the point is to push, to produce something, however imperfect. If you don't overthink it, you will be able to complete all of the exercises in under 45 minutes.
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Sentence Calisthenics 9
Sentence Calisthenics 9
For today's writing exercise complete the following steps for a specific period of time, using the timer on your phone or computer and setting it for 5 minutes for each 'set'. The point here is to produce at very least 6 sentences in each set, but you're looking for both quality and quantity. Don't write a bunch of sentences with the same construction or that are boring—it's better if you have no idea how in the heck you might use the sentence. Something funky, interesting. Normal, well-phrased sentences are of course good to have in the mix too, but include some quirky ones in each set.
At the end of every set mark your favorite 1-2 sentences.
In order to complete the large number of sentences demanded of this exercise it is imperative that you write fast. Don't stop to think too much at all until you've reached the final exercise. The process of this quick production is to thrust past second guesses or other stumbling blocks that sometimes impede your writing. You're aiming to write 30 individual, unlinked sentences in 25 minutes so you have ten minutes to organize and write that actual piece using the 'round up' prompt. This means you're going to be writing more than a sentence a minute. You can't do that if you're dawdling or trying to figure out the 'perfect' phrasing. The first couple times writing to these sprint-style prompts you may barely squeak the lines out in time, but as you get more used to it you'll get more both in quantity and in quality of your sentences.
In order to complete the large number of sentences demanded of this exercise it is imperative that you write fast. Don't stop to think too much at all until you've reached the final exercise. The process of this quick production is to thrust past second guesses or other stumbling blocks that sometimes impede your writing. You're aiming to write 30 individual, unlinked sentences in 25 minutes so you have ten minutes to organize and write that actual piece using the 'round up' prompt. This means you're going to be writing more than a sentence a minute. You can't do that if you're dawdling or trying to figure out the 'perfect' phrasing. The first couple times writing to these sprint-style prompts you may barely squeak the lines out in time, but as you get more used to it you'll get more both in quantity and in quality of your sentences.
Save all of your sentences to a "Sentence Calisthenics" document, if you participate for awhile we'll have some bonus exercises that will refer back to these sentences, because sometimes you can't see the gold hiding in plain sight when you've just written something. Having fresh eyes might result in a quick, awesome piece. So, save those sentences!
WRITE FAST, DON'T OVERTHINK
Getting into the mindset: Before you start your timer, take a moment and breathe and think about keeping cool during a very hot day (and also during hot nights). Think about the feeling of a hot night, trying to sleep when sweating/covered in sweat or however else you experience a hot night or day. Think both humid and dry heat. Keep thinking of these things in the back of your mind as you're writing and in between sets. By no means should all of your sentences revolve around these things, we just want your mind centered with a few anchors in place before we charge into our piece, DON'T LET THIS DISTRACT YOU FROM YOUR SENTENCES. When you feel set, read the set instructions, appropriate Wordbank, and start that timer.
When the timer goes off move on to the next set regardless of if you met the 6 sentence goal, you wrote only 3, or 12—when the timer rings, move along and if you don't hit 6 for one set, do your dangedest to knock out 6 in the next set even if some of them are short or silly or straightforward or even a fragment.
Set 1: Using the first wordbank write six (6) or more sentences which include one of those words and a synonym for "rush" or a synonym for "hurry". Take a few moments before you start your timer and jot down 4-6 synonyms beforehand so you have them handy for quick use.
Wordbank 1:
- Stairs
- Grub
- Lumpy
- Pills
- Basil
Remember to mark 1-2 favorites for each set.
Wordbank 2:
- Yeast
- Punishment
- Failsafe
- Normalized
- Glint
Set 3: Now write six (6) or more sentences which use one word from Wordbank 1 and one from Wordbank 2.
You're marking 1-2 favorites, right? Keep doing it.
Wordbank 3:
- Vile
- Umpire
- Elm
- Oily
- Fluctuations
Set 5: Take just 5 minutes now to write as many sentences that use at least two of the words from Wordbank 3 as you can. Try to get ten! If ten is easy, go for fifteen! We're sprinting here, first thought best thought, get your numbers up.
Set 6: Now write six (6) sentences that include one word from each of the three wordbanks.
The Prompting Round-up
Step 1) Gather up all of your marked favorite lines and pick from those favorites at least three sentences to build your piece around.
Step 2) Now that you know the core of your piece, go back up to the un-favorite lines and pick three additional sentences that you must use (even if you 'spruce' them up by tightening or quirking up the language).
Step 3) Now you have 6 sentences that are unconnected. You have a large chunk of a jigsaw puzzle but you've lost all the rest of the pieces. So it's time to make those pieces yourself. Make sure your piece has a 'point' or some sort of larger meaning above just the literal narrative/descriptions. Make an observation for better or worse, large, small or teensy tiny even. But, something new, and unique to your brain.
COMPLETE-A-PIECE
If your piece hasn't jumped right out at you, use this 'formula' today using those six sentences.
Step 1) First, throw out three of those six sentences that you don't care for as much. Look back at your original full list of sentences and see if any stick out. Sometimes in the rush of things you actually choke out something inadvertently kinda brilliant/interesting. That's the point of rush-rush-rushing. Pushing your brain. Ideally you'll have 4 sentences before you move onto step 2, so if none of those other sentences stick out (tweaks are acceptable of course), grab back one of the sentences you threw out at the beginning of this step, you want at least 3..
Step 2) Now we're going to write a piece which is broken roughly into 1/3s with the first 1/3 including one or two of your sentences and gives us a scene in which a narrator is late for something that they really wanted to be on-time for. Something they're mad about being late to. Set up the stakes, clearly root us in the world you're in and launch us onto the narrator's journey, late to ______.
(In their rush they nearly die multiple times, the final observation of the piece will be about the tightrope we walk between life and death every day without realizing it—this observation drawn into sharp focus because of the near-death experiences. So, with that in mind, be sure to set up a couple memorable images as you go of things which the narrator 'misses' in their rush which might otherwise be captivating or might help them more easily avoid their near-accidents. Or actual accidents if you go that route.)
Step 3) The second 1/3 should include 1-2 of your sentences and you will give your narrator two increasingly serious death scares. The first should be easy to avoid or only seen after it's 'not happened', and the second should be very serious and give the narrator pause to think about a list of 5 things from their life that they really love/enjoy/would miss were they to die. One of that list should be some particular food/food's preparation (ala a specific restaurant or family member).
Step 4) Before moving onto the last section of the piece take a quick look back at your starred list of sentences and see if there's any that would fit in your piece. You want to use this as a little scaffolding for the final chunk, but if you don't find one or two that fit that is fine too.
Step 5) The third 1/3 should include your remaining sentences and move away from the last near-accident with a renewed sense of caution, the event they're late for momentarily slipping to the back of their mind. The narrator should muse about how if they died then and there that they couldn't experience more of the thing they're late for, as well as to think more in depth about one of the earlier list of 5 things they love. While they're musing about the thing they love, they almost die a third time, but this time the narrator is less concerned/dramatic about it. Whether that's because they are sure they're safe or they're preoccupied or something else is up to you.
Step 6) When you're satisfied with the ending, take that knowledge back to the first 1/3 and add in a couple small details, especially imagery, which are in line with that ending. If some specific details are prominent in the end (a quirk or piece of equipment, a description or whatever), mention that thing in that first 1/3 in an innocuous or 'fun' way.
And that's it. You have your piece. This will definitely take longer than ten minutes but may just be worth it.
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Want some unobtrusive background writing music? Try this "A peaceful place" lofi mix.
