We have distilled the principles and exercises from the VerbalEyze writers workshop curriculum into a series of online mini-lessons. Each lesson below begins with a discussion of best practices related to the lesson topic. Then there are one or more exercises in each of five genres of writing (poetry, fiction, song writing, playwriting, and creative non-fiction) that give you help you put the best practices to work.
These mini-lessons are not intended to be a one-time experience. We encourage you to revisit each of these lessons and the related exercises several times as a way of continuing to hone your skill as a writer.
If you have found value in these mini-lessons, please consider a donation to support the work VerbalEyze is doing with young writers. Thank you.
Writing Is Story
Getting Ideas
What are the basic elements that go into creating a story? Without question ideas are foundational. Formulating and refining basic story ideas is a critical task of the writer.
Popular sources for finding ideas for a story are the writer’s own experience and memories. These can be rich troves of content, as long as you remember a two key caveats. The first is to always evaluate potential story ideas from the perspective of an outside reader who does not have the full context you do; you may find your uncle Wilmer charming and interesting but consider if those who have not known him their entire life would see him the same way. Second, do not underestimate the importance of particularizing and complicating your initial ideas through research.
Exercise: “Silence the Inner Critic”
Engage in a period of automatic writing in which you write without stopping or forethought.
Continue until you feel you are writing without any ‘inner critic’.
Then review the output of yout automatic writing for elements with which you write between one and three poems.
Exercise: “On Commission”
Write a short story on commission by asking a fellow student for his or her favorite story idea.
Using notes from that conversation, work out story elements for your classmate’s idea.
Write a short story based on the story idea from your fellow student. You can you your classmate’s thoughts for inspiration, but make the final story your own.
Exercise
Engage in a period of automatic writing in which you write without stopping or forethought.
Continue until you feel you are writing without any ‘inner critic’.
Review the output of your automatic writing for elements for a song.
Ask a classmate for a songwriting style (e.g. pop, hip-hop, folk, country). Write a song in the style specified by your classmate.
Exercise
Think of two entirely different movies or books and then choose one character out of each movie or book.
Write a scene of dialogue in which these two characters interact with each other.
The mannerisms of each character is informed by the source material, however you must show how the interaction between these two characters brings out new aspects in each character.
Exercise: “As Others See Me”
Ask a fellow student to write a one-paragraph description of you.
After reading how the classmate perceives you, write a short memoir about an event in your life that you feel brings out those aspects of your character and personality.
Story
What are the fundamental components of a story? Stated another way: what is the bare minimum you need? Put simply a story is at least one actors facing a specific situation. It goes without saying that a story can have more than one level of detail or complexity, more than one level of actor and situation.
Story is always present, even if not always explicitly or traditional conveyed. Regardless of the genre in which you write—even songwriting or creative non-fiction—injecting narrative, or story, into your writing enhances the way in which others interact with it.
Exercise: “From the Big Screen to Poetry”
Think of a movie and then sketch out the story of the movie: who, what, why, where, when.
Write three poems that capture various aspects of the story.
The poems may either be connected along a plot line or written so that each one stands alone.
Exercise: “Let the Music Move You”
Think of a song and then sketch out the story contained in the song: who, what, why, where, when.
Write a short story that uses elements of the song’s story.
The short story should utilize the story elements of the song, but not be a rewrite of the song.
Exercise: “If a Song Could Sing You”
Think of a person and situation with which you are familiar.
Sketch out the story elements: who, what, why, where, when.
Then write a song that tells that story.
Exercise
Think of a song or poem and then sketch out the story elements contained in the song or poem: who, what, why, where, when.
Create the structure of a play, both acts and scenes synopsis, that tell a story that utilizes the story elements from the song.
Do not merely rewrite the song.
Exercise: “I Hear You in a Song”
Think of a song that reminds you of someone you know.
Then sketch the outlines for a story that ties together the story of that person with elements from the song.
Write a non-fiction account of that person’s story.
Situation
In what way does the concept of situation constitute one of the basic elements of creating a story?
Situation is that slice of perspective in which the reader/listener interfaces with the story. The reader’s perspectives of the characters and conflicts within story develops by way of the story progressing from one situation to another.
The nature of a situation is that it is dynamic and changing. Even in circular or un-plotted narratives, the ending situation will differ, if only in the reader’s perspective and understanding. For example, list several stories you have experienced from novels, movies, television shows, or songs and for each write a one sentence description of the situation at the beginning of the story and then at the end of the story.
Exercise: “What it Mattered”
Think of a situation that involves a loss of some type.
Write one sentence descriptions of the beginning and ending situations related to that loss.
Now write a poem of at least four stanzas that explores the manner in which the transition between the two situations produced the loss and its effect.
Exercise: “Getting There a Different Way”
If you have not already done so, think of books, movies or television shows you know and write pairs of one sentence descriptions of the situation at the beginning and ending of the various stories.
Expand one pair of the one sentence situation descriptions into a plot outline for an original short story.
Write the short story by focusing on how the beginning situation gives rise to an original second situation and so forth until finally arriving at the end situation. Your story will begin and end the same way but should be a different story.
Exercise: “All Flowing Together”
If you have not already done so, think of books, movies or television shows you know and write pairs of one sentence descriptions of the situation at the beginning and ending of the various stories.
Now write a four verse song. The first verse depicts the beginning situation of one of the two sentence situation pairs. The fourth verse depicts the ending situation.
The second and third verse depict an original way in which the beginning situation flows into the end situation. The chorus should connect all four specific situations into a single concept.
Exercise: “What I Was, What I Became”
If you have not already done so, think of books, movies or television shows you know and write pairs of one sentence descriptions of the situation at the beginning and ending of the various stories.
Now select one pair of the one sentence situation descriptions.
Create sketches that describe three original characters as they are in the beginning description. Then write sketches that show the changes that occur in the characters by the ending situation.
Exercise: “All About Self-Discovery”
Think of a situation in your life that involved self -discovery.
Write one sentence descriptions of the beginning and ending situations related to that discovery.
Now write a short memoir describing that self-discovery.
Focus on how it occurred as a result of the change in situation.
Constraints
When you think about story, you typically think about characters doing things, performing actions. Consider for a moment: how can characters being unable to do something (having a constraint) also comprise an important element of stories? An important aspect of developing a story is conceiving of situations which are neither too wide-open nor too constrained. Also note that a writer can experience constraints that arise from the form of the genre she or he has chosen.
Character, setting, and situation all place natural constraints on a narrative: a person submerged underwater cannot breath (unaided); someone stuck in a broken subway car cannot receive a pizza delivery. One important note is that constraints and the suspension of disbelief are closely connected. Once in place, breaking a constraint can be an effective method of developing the story, but doing so must be managed well, with consideration given to consequences that might follow the breaking.
Exercise
Select two of the following poetic forms:
- Shakespearean sonnet,
- Petrarchan sonnet,
- Spenserian sonnet.
Now write two poems that adhere to (are constrained by) the rhyme scheme and meter of the forms you selected.
Give attention to the manner in which the forms focus and constrain the language, situation, and idea development of the your poems.
Exercise: “The Impossible Room”
Begin with the narrative constraint of a character sealed in a room with no windows or doors.
Conceive of a way to break this setting constraint such that it does not violate the reader’s suspension of disbelief.
Now write the short story.
Exercise: “Pushing Form Boundaries”
Choose a specific song form in which you do not typically write.
Now write a song in that form.
Incorporate elements of style from the form or forms in which you more commonly write.
Exercise
Write a one page dialogue between two characters who are both of the same profession or one is of a profession and the other is a customer or client.
Now write two sets of stage directions for the dialogue.
One set of stage directions envisions a full set with walls, doors and props while the other envisions only one prop.
Exercise
Remember a time in which your life constraints, or the life constraints of someone you know, seemed impossible.
Write a memoir account what relates how you or that person engaged with the characters, setting, and situations that caused the constraints.
Give attention to details involved with the constraints and how you or the person responded. Explore giving voice to the emotions that were felt.