July Writing Advice Exercise

  • List three objects you now use every day but which you did notuse every day before this crisis. Face masks are a good example, but I’d like to see you include other objects as well. Write a very short description (10 words, tops) for each item on your list.
  • Write down and describe three observations you’ve made outside of your home that stuck with you. These can be sights, sounds, smells, scenes that you’ve encountered while out in the world yourself — at the grocery store, walking your dog — or that you’ve observed through your window. Write down what you observed, and why it stuck with you. A paragraph (four or five sentences) for each.
  • Transcribe or reconstruct one conversation you’ve personally had recently that lingered with you and is memorable. Include the dialogue but also include stage direction, description, and reflection. But do not state explicitly why this conversation is memorable for you.