Generating+Ideas+for+Writing

Sometimes the hardest part of writing is just getting started!

The following warm-up exercise is a good way to generate ideas for writing exercises:

Using words from an assigned text, create columns like so:


 * = __Teachers __ ||= __Favorite Books __ ||= __Places I Have Been __ ||= __Heroes __ ||

Now take a few seconds for each column and list words that come to mind for each column heading. For example:


 * =  __Teachers __ ||= __Favorite Books __ ||= __Places I Have Been __ ||= __Heroes __ ||
 * = Mr. Smith ||= Pride & Prejudice ||= Paris ||= Ben Franklin ||
 * = Ms. Pauline ||= Black Beauty ||= New York City ||= Sojourner Truth ||
 * = Mrs. Jones ||= Tuck Everlasting ||= Grand Canyon ||= My mother ||
 * = Mr. Williams ||= Train to Somewhere ||= Morocco ||= Arthur Ashe ||
 * = Ms. Jackson ||= Anne of Green Gables ||= Uruguay ||= Sister Corita ||

For the next step, take one of the listed words to expand on the idea. For example:



Now you have created a great start for a writing project. To continue with these ideas, begin using complete sentences to describe each of the characteristics of the idea. 

This is simply another form of brainstorming and is a quick, fun activity to help jump-start your brain!