The kind of writing exercises I have in mind are in the style of what high school teacher Bruce Farrer did, when he gave his students the assignment to write 10 pages to their future self (in 20 years), and he replied to every single one!
4. Write a Simple English Wikipedia paragraph
- Exercise time: No time pressure this time. If you want, make it one under 25 minutes (1 Pomodoro)
- Take any article from the English Wikipedia, copy one paragraph of it so you can re-write it for the the Simple English Wikipedia
- It’s perfect for students, kids or adults wanting to learn English because only it’s basic English that is used
- Example: Simple English Wikipedia entry “Student“
A student is a person who is learning something. Students can be children or teenagers who are going to school, but it may also be other people who are learning, such as in college. Another word for student is pupil. Usually, students will learn from a teacher.
- Example: English Wikipedia entry “Student“
A student or pupil is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In Britain until about 2012, underage schoolchildren were always referred to as “pupils”, while those attending university are termed “students”. In the USA, and more recently also in Britain, the term “student” is applied to both categories, no doubt due to US influence. In its widest use, student is used for anyone who is learning, including mid-career adults who are taking vocational education or returning to university, or younger ‘researchers or artists learning from a more experienced (and usually older) colleague and mentor.
- Extra bonus doing that: You not only learn writing better but help the biggest encyclopedia on this planet!!!
3. Nope, a simulated typewriter
- Scenario: Image you sit in front of the computer that acts a typewriter and you can’t use the backspace key
- Constraint: Every time you try, you hear “Nope” (the voice is by Sean McCabe because the app was born in the community he built up)
- Exercise: Brain dump what’s in your heard and wants to get out and share it with me publicly or in private by email
- Link: http://nope.press
2. Stop writing to kill it
- Exercise time: 5-60 minutes
- Choose how long you want to write
- Type without stopping
- If you stop, all your text will be lost
- Link: themostdangerouswritingapp.com
1. Letter from my future self
- Exercise time: 7 minutes (not more, not less)
- Start your letter with: “Hi <name>, it’s been 7 years and I…”
- write about you will have accomplished in the next 7 years
- write exactly 7 sentences
- include 7 random key words (chosen here) in any form wherever you want
- Bonus: summarize what you just wrote in 1 sentence using 7 words or word groups avoiding the 7 random key words
Write and share it with me
If you want to send me the outcome of your fruitful word work, use Draft (or similar services) to write it and tweet me when it’s done.