The Magic of Ten in Creative Writing
I see it everywhere. In fiction how-tos, in poetry guidebooks. Write ten openings to a ten possible shortstories. Out them aside and come back ten hours, or ten days later; then write a ten-page short story using one of your ten openings. This works like magic, for some gets the creative juices flowing and for others keeps them on task, even if they may not be inclined to respond to prompts. If developing one of the openings into a full short stories, if the plan aborts, there are nine others to develop.
Earlier today I was reading the current issue of Poets & Writers when I saw Kim Addonizio's feature "First Thought, Worst Thought", which is sub-titled "poetry exerices that inspire". She is against trusting those first thoughts that writers put on paper; she calls them "received thoughts", received from the noise around us, commercials, empty sayings,televions. A writer can record these thoughts to capture an opportunity of creativity, but should go back to work skeptically and develop them beautifully. She too embraces the idea of the ten openings.
In one of the activities she gives in the article, she suggests writing ten openings that begin in media res ; then choose the best three and freewrite them for five minutes.
These are the kinds of exercises given in many writing programs and workshops. They keep students busy, getting the bang for their buck, so to speak. Because what else can you do? Sit and look at each other and talk about how you have always wanted to be writers? No, in my workshops I emphasize reading model stories, following prompts and critique of each other's works. I too have used an exercise or two which asks for ten things.
So here is one prompt:
Write ten poems this week (okay to write more, as long as ten is the minimum). The poems can be on any subject, but remember to start by freewriting them, then put them aside for ten hours. When you come back to them, check if you still think they are poems. Choose your best three and edit them ten times each. Take a ten-minute break and rewrite them.
Earlier today I was reading the current issue of Poets & Writers when I saw Kim Addonizio's feature "First Thought, Worst Thought", which is sub-titled "poetry exerices that inspire". She is against trusting those first thoughts that writers put on paper; she calls them "received thoughts", received from the noise around us, commercials, empty sayings,televions. A writer can record these thoughts to capture an opportunity of creativity, but should go back to work skeptically and develop them beautifully. She too embraces the idea of the ten openings.
In one of the activities she gives in the article, she suggests writing ten openings that begin in media res ; then choose the best three and freewrite them for five minutes.
These are the kinds of exercises given in many writing programs and workshops. They keep students busy, getting the bang for their buck, so to speak. Because what else can you do? Sit and look at each other and talk about how you have always wanted to be writers? No, in my workshops I emphasize reading model stories, following prompts and critique of each other's works. I too have used an exercise or two which asks for ten things.
So here is one prompt:
Write ten poems this week (okay to write more, as long as ten is the minimum). The poems can be on any subject, but remember to start by freewriting them, then put them aside for ten hours. When you come back to them, check if you still think they are poems. Choose your best three and edit them ten times each. Take a ten-minute break and rewrite them.
Comments