Improving Writing Skills

I take writing classes and workshops whenever I can. It's so easy to get stuck in a rut, but when you have someone dishing out writing assignments, you're forced to pull yourself out. Here are 5 exercises I've done over the years. Stretch yourself!

1) Take a mediocre, horrible or fabulous piece of your writing. It doesn't need to be long, just writing. Go through it and look for non-descript words, such as 'nice', 'beautiful' and 'wonderful'. List these words, and detail what they are actually supposed to be describing.


A nice outfit - Nice means as many things as there are people! Does nice mean green or blue? Cotton or polyester? A skirt or pants? Matching or eclectic?


A beautiful day - Some folks like rain, some love the sun. Are there clouds? Is it morning or evening? Is it a day to lounge at home or go out and socialize? What constitutes a beautiful day? Beauty? What's that?


You can see by these examples that non-descript words rob your writing of what makes it unique - you!

2) This is one of my favorites. I came across it as I was studying metaphors. On the left side of the page, list tangible nouns. Ocean, flood, steam shovel, cinder block, spoon. On the right side of the page, list intangible nouns. Respect, desire, hunger, flight. Now combine them in a phrase like this:

'a of '. Examples would be 'an ocean of respect', a spoonful of desire'. Let yourself get carried away with this, and you will come up with some very powerful images.

3) Open up a dictionary. Choose a word and write about it for 10 minutes, non-stop. Choose another word and do the same. Choose a third and write 10 more minutes. Although you have three different words, there may be a common thread running through them. Look for it. The day I did this, the rainy weather permeated my three pieces of random writing. If a thread is not there, try and connect these three separate pieces of writing.

4) Make a list about something. Choose something ordinary and make a list of things about it or related to it. Do it off the top of your head, taking just 10 minutes or so. Now read it. You will feel a rhythm to it after a few lines, and it will sound poetic. If you make a list about a kiss or love or flowers, you may have a sweet poem when you're done.

The class I did this in listed a yard sale. Sounds dull? It was actually very interesting to hear what everyone had to say about a yard sale, the contents, the seller, the other buyers, the type of day it was and so on. A yard sale is not dull subject matter!

5) Find a picture in a magazine. Make sure it interests you. Look this picture over carefully for just a minute and write about it for at least 10 minutes. Describe the detail, the light, the subject matter. Are there people? What are they thinking? How did they get there? Who are they? You could do the traditional 'Who What When Where Why' routine. You'll be surprised at how much you can see in a picture when you have to!

These are just a few exercises to keep your creativity flowing. You can enhance them by doing them with your writing friends, too. It's entertaining and enlightening to hear how others respond to the same exercises. Don't be afraid to try a class or a workshop, either! Good luck and have fun!

Black Eyed Peas

will.i.am and apl.de.ap first began performing and rapping together around Los Angeles in 1989. Eventually they formed the group Atban Klann with Dante Santiago, one of their friends. They caught the attention of the nephew of Jerry Heller, manager of Ruthless record label president Eazy-E. Atban Klann was signed to Ruthless in 1992, but when Eazy-E died in 1995, they still had not released a record.

Band Members:
will.i.am
apl.de.ap
Taboo
Fergie

The First Black Eyed Peas Albums:
With the death of Eazy-E, Atban Klann were dropped from Ruthless, but it was just the beginning for will.i.am and apl.de.ap. They replaced Dante Santiago with Taboo and added Kim Hill as a background vocalist. This lineup signed with Interscope Records and released two critically acclaimed albums. Behind the Front appeared in 1998 and reached the lower range of the US album chart. 2000's Bridging the Gap climbed even higher with guests that included Macy Gray.

Quote from Black Eyed Peas' Taboo:
From interview with Live Daily:

"When we make these records, we don't expect them to be No. 1. We don't expect the success of it because we go in thinking, 'This could be our last record so let's go out with a bang.'"

Elephunk:
Despite the critical success of their previous albums, the pop music world wasn't quite prepared for 2003's Elephunk. Kim Hill was no longer with the group and had been replaced by Stacy Ferguson aka Fergie. This lineup created a wildly eclectic mix of music rooted in hip hop but drawing influences from a vast musical palette. The album featured their first top 10 pop hit, the anti-war "Where is the Love?"

Trivia Fact About Black Eyed Peas:
will.i.am and apl.de.ap were only in 8th grade when they first started performing together.

Monkey Business and Beyond for Black Eyed Peas:
The Black Eyed Peas next album Monkey Business was one of the most eagerly awaited pop albums of 2005. Critical response was lukewarm, but fans enthusiastically embraced the band's new music. "Don't Phunk With My Heart" and "My Humps" both reached the pop top 3. The group took home their second Best Rap Duo or Group Grammy Award in early 2006 for "Don't Phunk With My Heart." Black Eyed Peas were selected to headline the Honda Civic Tour in the spring.

Following Monkey Business the Black Eyed Peas went on hiatus from recording while group members pursued solo projects. Fergie became a solo superstar with four #1 pop singles from her debut album The Dutchess. will.i.am also pursued a number of independent projects including the song "Yes We Can" that helped carry Barack Obama to victory in the 2008 presidential election.

I welcome you to join our unique language program in beautiful town of THATTA Our class sizes offer plenty of individual attention and loads of opportunity to practice conversation. Our short terms fit into your busy lifestyle. All of our classes are taught by professional educators with degrees in education or experience of work to help you maximize your learning experience. There are no grades and no pressure at the Daffodils English Language Center because language learning should be fun!

LETS ROCK THE WORLD.......................