Holly Said:

Writing questions, writing exercises, and writing as a hobby?

We Answered:

I agree with carpediem.....the first thing you need to be doing is reading, and reading all sorts of things by good authors. Authors who write the sorts of things you enjoy reading will provide you with a good example for style, mood, and good writing in general.
If you are wanting to write, you probably already enjoy reading, which is a great start.

Is there any chance of taking a class at a local community college or 4-year college? If so, a creative writing class would be a worthwhile idea. The class will get you into a routine of writing, as you will need to produce for the class, and will get feedback from the professor and the class.

How about your local library? Check with them. If there are any writing groups in your town, they will know of their existence, or can put you in touch with someone who might. Or they could encourage you to start one, maybe even help.

Your library could also guide you to good idea starters. Books, websites, etc.

one place you might want to check out online is http://writersdigest.com

See if there is a local author or teacher or friend who is good with English (if there are no other options, mentioned above, available) who would be willing to read your work, proof it for you, mentor you, just be a help and encourager.

now that you are a reader, and you want to write...start writing. Write write write.

As you write, you will get better at it. You will find your "voice" as you write about things that interest you and that you know about and learn about.

Martin Said:

what are some good writing exercises?

We Answered:

All writing practice will help with creativity and the quality of your writing. The more you string words together, the better you get at it. You don't need anyone to give you exercises - just write as many stories as you can and it'll improve your writing so much. But if you really want to, try some of these.

1) Write a list of 5-10 random words. Now write a short story that uses them all. You can do this over and over again!

2) Write a list of all the emotions you can think of. Now take each emotion and think back to a time you felt it really strongly. Write about it, including as much detail as you can.

3) Write a single dramatic scene on anything you like - or take one you have already written. Then rewrite it in the point of view of one of the other characters. Try it for every character.

4) Take a single dramatic scene and pick an emotion. Rewrite the scene to focus on and bring out that emotion as much as possible. Try this with different emotions.

5) Take a bunch of characters you have created and write scenes for them in lots of different situations. What would happen if they were stuck in a lift? What would happen if they were shipwrecked? One of them loses their job. They throw a birthday party for one of them. They go on holiday. They start a business. Let your imagination run wild.

6) Start a list of 'what if's. What if you met yourself in the street? What if your uncle left you his restaurant in his will? What if you woke up one day and couldn't see yourself in the mirror? What if all the world's books disappeared? Again, let your imagination run riot. Don't think about them too hard - just write them down. This list can be a source for story ideas.

Good luck!

Tyler Said:

Good writing exercises?

We Answered:

First, make sure you also check your spelling and grammar.

All right, assuming you are willing to do that, here are some creative writing exercises:

1) Pretend you are an orange. Write about what your typical day is like.

2) Watch someone walking down the street. Watch them closely. Then attempt to copy down exactly what they were doing, how they were walking, what they were wearing, if they were on the phone or listening to headphones, and everything like that.
Then, make up a story about who they are and where they are going.

3) There are two people, Jack and Mary. Write a scene where Jack wants something from Mary, like maybe he wants to ask her on a day. Have her say no to him twice, and then agree when he asks her a third time. Make sure that the three ways he asks are different, so he's not just repeating himself.

Jose Said:

Do you know of any sites on the net that have stimulating writing exercises to help the creative juices flow?

We Answered:

Forward Motion is a great site. Zette's Gym gives daily exercises.

Holly said:

Do these excercises apply to everyone?