The Countdown: Working Your Writing Muscle

After taking a little Fall break, we are ramping back up with some fun writing exercises in the PCLS Teen Writer’s Group and I couldn’t be happier. It’s fun getting back in the swing of thing, but it’s also fun getting those creative gears to grinding. That’s exactly what we did!

This week we stretched those brain muscles and did a fun exercise that is sure to get your brain in writing gear. From a 15-word sentence to a one word statement, this exercise was fun and a bit challenging. It’s sure to be just the ticket item you need to get those brain muscles working. So grab a pencil and let the countdown begin.
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Exercise:

1. Writing Prompts: Our topic of choice for writing prompt was Fall or Halloween.
2. Take 5-10 mins to think of your story idea.
3. Let the countdown begin. The first sentence in your story should contain 15 words. The second 14. The third 13, all the way until you reach 1.
4. Edit

 
It’s that simple. Here are a few of the stories written during group. (Posted with the parents’ permission)

Example writing prompts we used:

1. The tunnel hadn’t been used since the mine closed down. But the sound of laughter could be heard whenever there was a new moon.
2. The old house was in disrepair. No one had lived there for years. But when the day came to tear down the walls, she found the small door under the stairs.
3. A curse was not something you wanted to mess with. Which is something we figured out after I dropped the bottle with a curse in it.
4. The leaves were starting to change, the air crisp and cool. It reminded her of that night. The night she would never tell. 

I hope you enjoy this fun, thoughtful writing exercise as much as we did. 
​Happy Writing!