So I learned this back in my creative writing seminar last semester. My teacher, a wonderful woman by the name Wendy Schuchart, used this exercise inspired by Lynda Barry. For this particular exercise, you will need a couple sheets of lined paper, a pen, and a device to time yourself with.
First and foremost--draw massive Xs on those papers. They are imperfect now, and you can allow your writing to be imperfect. That pen I asked you to grab? You will not be allowed to erase for the duration of this exercise! You will not be allowed to stop even if your words become gibberish. If you cannot think of something to write, write your thoughts down or draw spirals. Your pen cannot stop no matter what.
So! Stretch your hands, crack your knuckles, do what you need to do to prepare, then begin when you feel ready.
Part 1 -- 3 minutes on the timer
1. Make a numbered list of 1-15 down the side of the paper.
2. In the time limit, come up with a list of toys. These can be from your childhood, be associated with a memory, etc. It is okay if you do not hit 15, it is also okay for you to go over 15. It is more than acceptable if your list includes things that are not toys but associated with in some way. Whatever is the first thing that pops in your mind, write it down.
3. When the timer goes off, choose any of the 15 that you strongly associate with. If you do not have a preference, choose #4 (not that it matters, just pick one).
Part 2 -- 5 minutes on the timer
1. Take the number you chose and answer the following questions in some fashion. It could be in a bubble map of ideas, complete sentences, a list, etc. It is okay if you do not answer all of them in the time allotted, it wasn’t much to begin with.
Where are you?
What are you doing?
What do you feel like?
What does it smell like in the room?
Are you hungry?
What time is it?
What season is it?
Is it hot or cold out?
Do you feel well?
Someone else is there, who is it?
What are they doing?
Why are they there?
What are they holding?
Are they talking to someone else?
What are they doing?
Part 3 -- 10 minutes on the timer
1. Write a short story using the information that you gathered in parts 1 and 2, and consider using this sentence: I didn’t know he had to do that.
As a reminder, you are not allowed to stop writing nor are you allowed to erase. Just breathe, and keep going. When you are done, think about reading over your work. Laugh about it, save it for later. Do what you like! Happy writing~
