Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Twenty 20-Minute Projects for Writers

Many writers waste the spare change of time. They can’t see blocs smaller than an hour, and that’s a loss.

In the classes I’ve taught, I’ve found that almost everyone can get about 200 words drafted in 15 minutes, provided they have an idea (usually describing a scene in one sentence the day before). In that spirit, let’s get the new year started right with twenty 20-minute projects.

    1.    Set a timer, turn off the editor in your head, and write a page. If my students can do it, so can you. (Or create a prep sentence for tomorrow.)
    2.    Challenge yourself with a prompt. Look for a writing prompt online and get to work. (There are many sites providing these. Here’s a fun one.)
    3.    Read something that does not appeal to you. Search engines and online suggestions are geared toward providing more of the same, so break free. Read a local story from another state or an article from a different decade. Find an obituary in a major newspaper for someone you never heard of. Go to the library and look at the books next to the one you want to take out.
    4.    Ask a character three questions. It can be a rude question or one your intuition tells you will be revealing. Don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions, but keep at it for the full twenty minutes.
    5.    Describe someone you know in motion, either in memory or in real time. Attempt to include a fresh observation.
    6.    Create a list of story titles. Strive for twenty or more. If you get stuck, come up with a title to replace that of a favorite book or movie.
    7.    Make detailed observations of something in nature. Include as many senses as you can. If there is movement or change during the time period, note it.
    8.    Choose a strong emotion and write a letter to someone who you’d like to share it with. Have a purpose to the letter — e.g., changing behavior, wanting to be heard, engendering guilt feelings, or drawing closer.
    9.    Write five first sentences. These can be for a title you created, a scene you are about to write, or a story you are beginning. But choose only one of these so you’re forced to take a variety of approaches.
    10.    Write a poem.
    11.    Steal a style. Create a page of prose in someone else’s voice. This can be a short speech for a well-known person or a pastiche of an author you know well. Feel free to write Hemingway’s version of “This Little Piggy.”
    12.    List five new endings in full sentences. These can be for something you’re working on, a story that disappointed you, or just a story you know nearly by heart.
    13.    Write a list of twenty different ways to accomplish something you do almost every day. Novelty counts.
    14.    If you can see a large space, outside (a tall building) or inside (a cathedral), imagine how you might climb as high as possible without using available stairs or ladders.
    15.    Brainstorm how you would explore the relationship between two people through questions, challenges, tests, or surprises.
    16.    Imagine the space you are in from the perspective of a two-year-old or your pet.
    17.    Write a sentence about each strength you have as a writer.
    18.    Write out your strategy for convincing someone you know well to do something they’d never volunteer to do. You may express this as a monologue.
    19.    Create a compelling excuse (or list of excuses) for arriving late for (or missing) an important event (like a wedding) in which you were expected to play a key role.
    20.    Write your own obituary, from the perspective of someone who wants revenge on you.

The expectation of these projects is that will get you involved and learning. It is not that something definite or practical will be accomplished. Don't expect you'll create high art in twenty minutes. Instead, you'll take a small step toward being a better writer. And spend twenty minutes having more fun that you would scanning through social network posts.


Do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of. 
-- Benjamin Franklin

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