12 Creative Exercises for Writers

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Creative exercises are a great way to keep your writing brain sharp and to prepare you for a day of writing. Here are 12 creative exercises you can try. Use one whenever you need a creative boost!

1. Pick an item in your office and describe as if you hate the object. Then describe it as if you love the object.
2. Write newspaper headlines for the events that happened in your life the day before—make them as interesting as possible.
3. Describe a character’s room in such a way that it reveals their personality and perhaps their hopes and dreams.
4. Write out the story of a dream you’ve recently had. If you can’t remember all the details, then make them up.
5. Describe a favorite food dish in such detail that the person reading it salivates over it.
6. Write in detail about your dream home.
7. Choose a decision one of the characters in your current book has made and ask “Why?” For every answer, ask “Why?” again, until you’ve ran out of why’s.
8. Think of snatches of conversations you’ve heard recently between strangers (such as at the grocery store, in the library, walking down the street), and write the story behind the conversation.
9. Write a story from your past in as dramatic a way as possible.
10. Write a short, well-known fairy tale from the perspective a secondary character.
11. List your top fears, then write a scene where one of your characters has to confront one of those fears.
12. Look at old photographs on the Internet and write the story behind the photograph.

Have any creative exercise ideas? We’d love to hear in the comments below!