: Re: What helpful writing exercises do you use? The two I do most are dialog and description related. When I meet a person or I'm just sitting people watching, I try to write their description

@Gloria285

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Set a stopwatch. I usually do 10, 20, or 30 minutes; don't do less than 5. Take a pen and some paper, or a computer, and start writing. Don't stop until the stopwatch hits zero. Write whatever you have to write to keep writing, even if it's mindless filler. By the time you finish writing "I don't know what to write" you'll have another idea. I find that this really gets my brain working, and the ideas are usually flowing afterwards.

A less extreme alternative is the above, but you can stop writing. (However, don't go back and edit anything.) This is an interesting way to write a short story; the ideas can start to chain up pretty wildly. I find it less effective than the first exercise, but it is more fun.

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