By Melissa Stoller
This month, let’s set our timers and get some words onto the page! It’s amazing what we can accomplish in one, two, and three minutes of brainstorming. Try this exercise for some July writing fun:
This month, let’s set our timers and get some words onto the page! It’s amazing what we can accomplish in one, two, and three minutes of brainstorming. Try this exercise for some July writing fun:
- Set your timer for one minute. Write as many words as you can that make you think of summer. Activities, foods, memories, people, places, and things. Be open to all the words. If you take more than one minute, that’s fine too.
- Set your timer for two minutes. Pick a few of the words from your list above. Brainstorm a story idea incorporating those words. If you think of a few ideas, jot them all down.
- Set your timer for three minutes. Flesh out the idea from above. Include sensory descriptions that will enhance your story idea…what smells, sights, sounds, and more can you add in?
Revisit this exercise as often as you can to help you develop ideas and stories this month. Let me know in the comments if this process is useful to you.
Happy writing, happy creating, and happy summer!
BIO:
Melissa Stoller is the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Return to Coney Island and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush; Ready, Set, GOrilla!; and Sadie’s Shabbat Stories. Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-written with Callie Metler and Shirin Rahman, illustrated by Kate Talbot), released from Clear Fork Publishing in October, 2021. Melissa is a Blogger and Course Assistant for the Children’s Book Academy, a Rate Your Story judge, a Regional Ambassador for The Chapter Book Challenge, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, and a founding member of The Book Meshuggenahs. She also interviews authors on her blog, This Writing Life, and offers book tips and resources. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer and editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and Wordle!
CONNECT:
https://www.MelissaStoller.com
https://www.MelissaStoller.com/blog
http://www.facebook.com/MelissaStoller
http://www.twitter.com/melissastoller
www.instagram.com/Melissa_Stoller
www.pinterest.com/melissa_Stoller
https://www.TheBookMeshuggenahs.com
Melissa Stoller is the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Return to Coney Island and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush; Ready, Set, GOrilla!; and Sadie’s Shabbat Stories. Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-written with Callie Metler and Shirin Rahman, illustrated by Kate Talbot), released from Clear Fork Publishing in October, 2021. Melissa is a Blogger and Course Assistant for the Children’s Book Academy, a Rate Your Story judge, a Regional Ambassador for The Chapter Book Challenge, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, and a founding member of The Book Meshuggenahs. She also interviews authors on her blog, This Writing Life, and offers book tips and resources. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer and editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and Wordle!
CONNECT:
https://www.MelissaStoller.com
https://www.MelissaStoller.com/blog
http://www.facebook.com/MelissaStoller
http://www.twitter.com/melissastoller
www.instagram.com/Melissa_Stoller
www.pinterest.com/melissa_Stoller
https://www.TheBookMeshuggenahs.com
