creative writing alphabet story

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spklvr Contributor Contributor

The alphabet story.

Discussion in ' Word games ' started by spklvr , Mar 8, 2011 .

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_f36a93dbcf36edc27b619a3d5da673f1'); }); Based slightly on the Whose Line game: 90 second Alphabet. We won't be doing this in 90 seconds, obviously. This might count as a RPG, but I think it fits better here, as the storyline isn't that important. We are given a setting and 3-5 characters to play. You can only be one character in each post, but you are not restricted to one character a game. You have to let at least two people post before you post again (unless it's going really slow). Each person must start what they say with the next letter in the alphabet. The story ends when we have gone all the way around. You can start the next story with whatever letter you want. If a story starts with a T, it ends with a T. Every person can write up to five sentences (not a strict rule, just don't hog the story). Only the first letter counts. The rest of the sentences you write can be what you want, and the next person has to continue. Example: Setting: You're on a large merchant ship about to set sail. Characters: The Captain The Cook A guy named Steve Player 1: Captain: A ll aboard! We are going to set sail! Player 2: Steve: B oy, this is fun! I have always wanted to be on a ship. What do you want me to do? Player 3: Cook: C ould you help me, perhaps. *Yells* Go peel the potatoes!” Player 4: Steve: D arn it, that doesn't sound like fun. *Folds arms and mopes* Player 5: Captain: E at your heart out, matey! That's just one of the things you have to do around here. And so on... Try to be funny. Don't be too specific when you make up the setting and characters. Don't think too much about plot or grammar.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_f36a93dbcf36edc27b619a3d5da673f1'); }); I'll start the first round Let's hope people will find this fun. Setting: You have just shipwrecked on a deserted island. Characters: Jack, a sexy construction worker Diana, an unknown actress Patrick, a gay guy Javahi, a native of the island Jack: D on't worry guys! I will build us a nice shelter. All I need is a saw, a hammer, some nails and a septic tank... *Scratches chin*  

Anonym New Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_f36a93dbcf36edc27b619a3d5da673f1'); }); Patrick: E verything like that is sunk! Perhaps Javahi here may know something about making shelter without man-made conveniences.  

Reggie I Like 'Em hot "N Spicy Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_f36a93dbcf36edc27b619a3d5da673f1'); }); Jack For crying out loud! How about I'll build a shelter while you guys call for help? That way, if we don't get any help, we would have a plan B to stay in the shelter in case it rains.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_f36a93dbcf36edc27b619a3d5da673f1'); }); Patrick: G rab that conch shell there - we might be able to use it as a horn and get someone's attention! Jack: H e's got a good idea, but who knows who or what else is on this island... we might not want to announce our arrival to the world. Javahi? Javahi: I sland jungle have big anmals. Dangerous. But my people have home by river. Safe there. I take you. Diana: J avahi! You're a life-saver!! Sounds good to me. What do you guys think? Follow him or try to build shelter?  

Matthew Simon Ali Mc New Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_f36a93dbcf36edc27b619a3d5da673f1'); }); Paddy: Koons!  

Arathald New Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_f36a93dbcf36edc27b619a3d5da673f1'); }); Diana: (under her breath) L oopy bastard... Alright, let's take a vote. Everyone who wants to follow Javoopy or whatever his name is, say 'aye'.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_f36a93dbcf36edc27b619a3d5da673f1'); }); Jack: M aybe that's not such a great idea. that rat bastard has stolen our life boat an got half way out to sea!  

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43 Creative writing exercises

A selection of fun creative writing exercises that can be completed solo, or with a group. Some are prompts to help inspire you to come up with story ideas, others focus on learning specific writing skills.

I run a  Creative Writing Meetup  for adults and teens in Montpellier or online every week. We start with a 5 to 20 minute exercise, followed by an hour and a half of silent writing, during which each participant focuses on their own project. Every exercise listed below has been run with the group and had any kinks ironed out.  Where the exercises specify a number of people, if you have a larger group, simply split everyone up into smaller groups as appropriate.

The solo exercises are ideal to help stimulate your mind before working on a larger project, to overcome writer’s block, or as stand-alone prompts in their own right. If a solo exercise inspires you and you wish to use it with a larger group, give every member ten minutes to complete the exercise, then ask anyone who wishes to share their work to do so in groups of 3 or 4 afterwards.

Looking for something quick to fire your imagination? Check out these  creative writing prompts for adults .

Writing Retreat in South France

A note on running exercises remotely

While you can enjoy the exercises solo, they are also designed for online writing groups using Zoom, WhatsApp, or Discord.

If you're running a group and follow a ' Shut Up and Write ' structure, I recommend connecting on WhatsApp (for example) first, doing the exercise together, sharing writing samples as needed. Next, write in silence for an hour and a half on your own projects, before reconnecting for a brief informal chat at the end. This works great with small remote groups and is a way to learn new techniques, gain online support, and have a productive session.

If you have a larger online group, it's worth looking into Zoom, as this has a feature called  Breakout Rooms . Breakout Rooms let you split different writers into separate rooms, which is great for group activities. The free version of Zoom has a 40 minute limit, which can be restrictive, but Zoom Pro is well worth it if you're going to use it on a regular basis. In my experience, Zoom has a better connection than Facebook chat or WhatsApp.

A Letter From Your Character To You

Spend ten minutes writing a letter from a character in your novel to  you , the author, explaining why you should write about them. This serves three purposes:

• As you write, it helps you get into the mindset of the character. Ask yourself how they would language this letter and what they would consider important.
• It's motivating to know that your character wants you to write about them.
• If your goal is to publish a complete work of fiction one day, whether it be a novel, a play or a movie script, you will want to contact an agent or publisher. This helps you practice in an easy, safe way.

If you're doing this exercise with a group of teens or adults, and some of the group haven't already started working on their masterpiece, they can instead choose any fictional novel they love. Ask participants to imagine that a character within the book wrote to the author in the first place to ask them to write their story. How did they plead their case?

The Opening Sentence

The opening sentence has to grab the reader's attention and make them want to keep reading. Many authors achieve this by starting with an action scene. In modern literature, it's best to avoid starting with someone waking up, or a description of the weather. In this exercise the task is to write an opening sentence either to a book you're currently writing, or simply for an imaginary piece of literature.  Here are some of my favourite opening sentences to get you going:

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

George Orwell , 1984

The Golem's life began in the hold of a steamship.

Helene Wecker , The Golem and the Djinni

All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

Leo Tolstoy , Anna Karenina

It wasn't a very likely place for disappearances, at least at first glance.

Diana Gabaldon , Outlander

You better not never tell nobody but God.

Alice Walker , The Color Purple

The cage was finished.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez ,  Balthazar’s Marvelous Afternoon

Imagine that you are living your life out of order: Lunch before breakfast, marriage before your first kiss.

Audrey Niffenegger ,  The Time Traveler's Wife

Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.

Douglas Adams ,  The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

There are a plethora of ways you can start a book, however two ways that help engage the reader immediately are:

• Set the scene in as few words as possible, so the reader immediately knows what's happening and wants to know what happens next.  The scene must be original and create a vivid image in the reader's mind.
• Surprise the reader with an unusual event or usual point of view.

Spend 5 minutes working on your own opening sentence, then share it with the other participants.

Make your protagonist act!

Exercise for 2 writers, or can be done solo.

According to John Gardner:

"Failure to recognise that the central character must act, not simply be acted upon, is the single most common mistake in the fiction of beginners."

Spend 5 minutes writing a scene where the protagonist is passive in a conversation with one other character. It could be that the other character says something dramatic, and the protagonist just listens, or it could be anything else of your choice!

Once the 5 minutes is up, swap papers with another writer. If you're using Zoom, or working online, send it to each other in a private chat. Now the other person spends 8 minutes rewriting the scene to make the protagonist as active as possible. This might include:

Read both scenes together. Which makes you want to keep on reading?

If you're doing this as a solo writing exercise, simply complete both parts yourself.

• Showing the emotion this evokes.
• Getting them to disagree with the other character.
• Showing how they respond physically (whether it's as a physical manifestation of how they feel, or a dramatic gesture to make a point).

Overcoming writer's block

Are you staring at a blank page or stuck for any story ideas? This exercise will help anyone who's experiencing writer's block with a particular piece of writing. If this isn't you, that's great, others will value your input!

If anyone has a particular scene they're stuck with (a pool of blood on the floor they have no explanation for, a reason why the rich lady just walked into a particular pub, etc.) then at the start of the exercise everyone briefly describes their scenes (if working online with a large group, typing it into the chat might be best). Everyone then chooses one scene to use as a writing prompt to write a short story for 10-15 minutes.

Afterwards, split into small groups if necessary, and read out how you completed someone else's writing prompt. As everyone listens to everyone else's ideas, this can be a wonderful source of inspiration and also improves your writing. As an alternative solo exercise, try free writing. With free writing, simply write as quickly as you can on the topic without editing or censoring yourself - just let your creative juices flow. If you're not sure what happens next, brainstorm options on the page, jot down story ideas, or just put, "I don't know what happens next." Keep going and ideas will come.

Writing Character Arcs

There are several different types of character arc in a novel, the 3 most common being:

For this exercise choose either a positive or negative character arc. Spend 8 minutes writing a scene from the start of a novel, then 8 minutes writing a scene towards the end of a novel showing how the character has developed between the two points. Don't worry about including how the character has changed, you can leave that to the imagination.

The point here is to capture the essence of a character, as they will be the same, but show their development.

• Positive  - Where a character develops and grows during the novel. Perhaps they start unhappy or weak and end happy or powerful.
• Negative  - Where a character gets worse during a novel. Perhaps they become ill or give in to evil tendencies as the novel progresses.
• Flat  - In a flat character arc the character themself doesn't change much, however the world around them does. This could be overthrowing a great injustice, for example.

Sewing Seeds in Your Writing

In this exercise, we will look at how to sew seeds. No, not in your garden, but in your story. Seeds are the tiny hints and indicators that something is going on, which influence a reader's perceptions on an often unconscious level. They're important, as if you spring a surprise twist on your readers without any warning, it can seem unbelievable. Sew seeds that lead up to the event, so the twists and turns are still surprising, but make intuitive sense. Groups : Brainstorm major plot twists that might happen towards the end of the novel and share it in a Zoom chat, or on pieces of paper. Choose one twist each. Individuals : Choose one of the following plot twists:   -  Your friend is actually the secret son of the king.   -  Unreliable narrator - the narrator turns out to be villain.   -  The monster turns out to be the missing woman the narrator is seeking.   -  The man she is about to marry happens to already have a wife and three kids.

Write for ten minutes and give subtle hints as to what the plot twist is. This is an exercise in subtlety. Remember, when the twist occurs, it should still come as a surprise.

This is a fun writing activity for a small group. You’ve found a magic potion labelled ‘Cat Chat’ and when you drink it, you turn into whichever animal you’re thinking about; but there’s a problem, it also picks up on the brainwaves of other people near you!

Everyone writes down an animal in secret and then reveals it to the other writers.  The spell will turn you into a creature that combines elements of all the animals.  Each person then spends 5 minutes writing down what happens when they drink the potion.

After the 5 minutes is up, everyone shares their story with the other participants.

If you enjoy this exercise, then you may also want to check out our  Fantasy and Sci-Fi writing prompts  full of world building, magic, and character development prompts..

Joe Brainard wrote a novel called:  I Remember It contains a collection of paragraphs all starting with “I remember”.  This is the inspiration for this exercise, and if you’re stuck for what to write, is a great way to get the mental gears turning.  Simply write “I remember” and continue with the first thing that pops into your head.

Spend 5 minutes writing a short collection of “I remember” stories.

Here are a couple of examples from Joe Brainard’s novel:

“I remember not understanding why people on the other side of the world didn't fall off.”

“I remember waking up somewhere once and there was a horse staring me in the face.”

Giving feedback to authors

If you're running a workshop for more experienced adult authors and have at least an hour, this is a good one to use. This is the longest exercise on this page, but I felt it important enough to include.

Give each author the option to bring a piece of their own work. This should be double spaced and a maximum of 3 pages long. If you're running a workshop where not everyone is likely to bring a manuscript, ask everyone who wants to bring one to print two copies each. If someone forgets but has a laptop with them, the reader can always use their laptop.

Print out a few copies and hand them around to everyone in the workshop of the guide on: 'How to give constructive feedback to writers'

Each author who brought a sample with them then gives them to one other person to review. They write their name on the manuscript in a certain colour pen, then add any comments to it before passing it to a second person who does the same (commenting on the comments if they agree or disagree).

Then allow 5 minutes for everyone to discuss the feedback they've received, ensuring they are giving constructive feedback.

The Five Senses

Painting by Giovanni Battista Manerius -  The Five Senses

Choose a scene and write it for 5 minutes focusing on one sense, NOT sight. Choose between:

Hearing  Taste Smell Touch

This can be internal as well as external (I heard my heartbeat thudding in my ears, or I smelt my own adrenaline).

After the 5 minutes stop and everyone reads it out loud to each other. Now write for another 5 minutes and continue the other person's story, but do NOT use sight OR the sense they used.

You can use any sense to communicate the essentials, just focus on creating emotions and conveying the story with the specific sense(s).

If you need some writing prompts, here are possible scenes that involve several senses:

• Climbing through an exotic jungle
• Having an argument that becomes a fight
• A cat's morning
• Talking to someone you're attracted to

Show don't tell

2 or 3 people

A lot of writing guides will advise you to, "Show, don't tell". What does this actually mean?

If you want to evoke an emotional reaction from your reader, showing them what is happening is a great way to do so.  You can approach this in several ways:

Split up into pairs and each person writes down a short scene from a story where they "tell" it.  After this, pass the description of the scene to your partner and they then have 5 minutes to rewrite it to "show" what happened.  If there are an odd number of participants, make one group of three, with each person passing their scene clockwise, so everyone has a new scene to show.  After the 5 minutes, for small groups everyone reads their new description to everyone else, or for large groups, each person just reads their new scene to their partner.

• Avoid internal dialogue (thinking), instead have your protagonist interact with other people, or have a physical reaction to something that shows how s/he feels.  Does their heart beat faster?  Do they notice the smell of their own adrenaline?  Do they step backwards, or lean forwards?
• Instead of using an adjective like creepy, e.g. "Mary entered the creepy house", show why the house is creepy through description and in the way the protagonist responds - "The light streamed through the filthy skylight, highlighting the decomposing body of a rat resting on top of it.  As Mary stepped inside, she felt a gust of freezing air brush past her. She turned, but there was nothing there..."

World building

World building is the art of conveying the magic of living in a different world, whether it's a spaceship, a medieval castle, a boat, or simply someone's living room. To master world building, it's not necessary to know every intricate detail, rather to convey the experience of what it would be like to live there.

Choose one of the above images as a prompt and spend 10 minutes writing a scene from the perspective of someone who is seeing it for the first time. Now, move your character six months forward and imagine they've spent the last six months living or working there. Write another scene (perhaps with an additional character) using the image as a background, with the events of the scene as the main action.

Click the above image for a close-up.

Gossiping about a character as if they're a friend.

Judy Blume says that she tells her family about her characters as if they’re real people. 

Chris Claremont said, "For me, writing the 'X-Men' was easy - is easy. I know these people, they're my friends." 

Today’s exercise has 2 parts. First, spend 5 minutes jotting down some facts about a character you’ve invented that might come up if you were telling your friends about them. Either choose a character in something you’ve already written, or invent one from scratch now.

Answer the questions:

What are they up to? How are they? What would you say if you were gossiping about them?

Then split up into groups of 4 to 6 writers. 2 volunteers from each group then role-play talking about their character as if they were a friend (perhaps another character in the story).  The other participants will role-play a group of friends gossiping about the character behind their back and ask questions. If you don’t know the answer, invent it!

Degrees of Emotion Game

This is based on an acting game, to help actors understand how to perform with different degrees of emotion.

Ask everyone to write the following 4 emotions:

For groups of 5 or less, write down numbers starting with 1 and going up until everyone has a number, then give them out in order. For groups of 6 or more, divide groups into 3's, 4's or 5's.

Each person has to write a scene where the protagonist is alone and is only allowed to say a single word, e.g. "Banana".  The writer with number 1 should write the scene with a very low level of the emotion (e.g. happiness), number 2 increases the intensity a bit and the highest number writes a scene with the most intense emotion you can possibly imagine.

Once each writer has written about happiness, rotate the numbers one or two spaces, then move onto anger, then fear, then sadness.

It can help to give everyone numbers showing the intensity of the emotions to write about at the start of the exercise, in which case you may wish to print either the Word or PDF file, then use the ones corresponding to 3, 4 or 5 writers.

Everyone shares their scene with the other course participants.

Three birds, one line

The first paragraph of a surprising number of best-selling novels serves multiple purposes. These are to:

• Establish a goal
• Set the scene
• Develop a character

Nearly every chapter in a novel also serves all three purposes. Instead of establishing a goal though, the protagonist either moves towards it, or encounters an obstacle that hinders them from achieving it.

Some books manage to meet all three purposes with their opening lines, for example:  

Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

J.K. Rowling ,  Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone  

A little more than one hundred days into the fortieth year of her confinement, Dajeil Gelian was visited in her lonely tower overlooking the sea by an avatar of the great ship that was her home.

Iain M. Banks ,  Excession  

"We should start back," Gared urged as the woods began to grow dark around them.

George R.R. Martin ,  A Game of Thrones

For this exercise write a sentence or short paragraph that serves all three purposes. If you're already writing a novel, then see if you can do this for the first line in a chapter. If not, choose any combination from the following table:

Blind Date on Valentine's Day (Exercise for Adults)

In pairs one writer spends a minute or two describing a character they're writing about, or alternatively they can describe a celebrity or someone from a work of fiction.  The next writer then describes their character.

The story is that these 2 characters (or in my case, person and alien, as I'm writing a sci-fi) have accidentally ended up on a blind date with each other. Perhaps the waiter seated them in the wrong location, perhaps it's an actual blind date, or perhaps they met in some other fashion the writers can determine.

Now spend 10 minutes discussing what happens next!

A Success (Works best for online groups)

This exercise works best for online groups, via Zoom, for example.  The instructions to give are:

"In a few words describe a success in your life and what it felt like to achieve it. It can be a small victory or a large one."

Share a personal example of your own (mine was watching my homeschooled sons sing in an opera together).

"Once you have one (small or large), write it in the chat.

The writing exercise is then to choose someone else's victory to write about for 10 minutes, as if it was the end of your own book.

If you want to write for longer, imagine how that book would start. Write the first part of the book with the ending in mind."

This is great for reminding people of a success in their lives, and also helps everyone connect and discover something about each other.

Your dream holiday

You’re going on a dream holiday together, but always disagree with each other. To avoid conflict, rather than discuss what you want to do, you’ve decided that each of you will choose a different aspect of the holiday as follows:

• Choose where you’ll be going – your favourite holiday destination.
• Choose what your main fun activity will be on the holiday.
• Decide what mode of travel you’ll use to get there.
• If there’s a 4 th  person, choose what you’ll eat on the holiday and what you’ll be wearing.

Decide who gets to choose what at random. Each of you then writes down your dream holiday destination/activity/travel/food & clothes in secret.  Next spend 5 minutes discussing your dream holiday and add any other details you’d like to include, particularly if you’re passionate about doing something in real life.

Finally, everyone spends another 5 minutes writing down a description of the holiday, then shares it with the others.

A haiku is a traditional Japanese form of non-rhyming poetry whose short form makes it ideal for a simple writing exercise.

They are traditionally structured in 3 lines, where the first line is 5 syllables, the second line is 7 syllables, and the third line is 5 syllables again. Haiku tend to focus on themes of nature and deep concepts that can be expressed simply.

A couple of examples:

A summer river being crossed how pleasing with sandals in my hands! Yosa Buson , a haiku master poet from the 18 th  Century.

And one of mine:

When night-time arrives Stars come out, breaking the dark You can see the most

Martin Woods

Spend up to 10 minutes writing a haiku.  If you get stuck with the 5-7-5 syllable rule, then don’t worry, the overall concept is more important!

See  How to write a haiku  for more details and examples.

Unlike a haiku, which is profound and sombre, a limerick is a light-hearted, fun rhyming verse.

Here are a couple of examples:

A wonderful bird is the pelican. His bill can hold more than his beli-can He can take in his beak Food enough for a week But I'm damned if I see how the heli-can.

Dixon Lanier Merritt, 1910

There was a young lady named Bright, Whose speed was far faster than light; She started one day In a relative way, And returned on the previous night.

Arthur Henry Reginald Buller in  Punch,  1923

The 1 st , 2 nd  and 5 th  line all rhyme, as do the 3 rd  and 4 th  line.  The overall number of syllables isn’t important, but the 3 rd  and 4 th  lines should be shorter than the others.

Typically, the 1 st  line introduces the character, often with “There was”, or “There once was”. The rest of the verse tells their story.

Spend 10 minutes writing a limerick.

Time Travel - Child, Adult, Senior

Imagine that your future self as an old man/woman travels back in time to meet you, the adult you are today.  Alternatively, you as a child travels forward in time to meet yourself as an adult.  Or perhaps both happen, so the child you, adult you, and senior you are all together at the same time.  In story form write down what happens next.

Participants then share their story with other writers either in small groups, or to the whole group.

Focus on faces

Solo exercise.

One challenge writers face is describing a character. A common mistake is to focus too much on the physical features, e.g. "She had brown eyes, curly brown hair and was five foot six inches tall."

The problem with this is it doesn't reveal anything about the character's personality, or the relationship between your protagonist and the character. Your reader is therefore likely to quickly forget what someone looks like.  When describing characters, it's therefore best to:

• Animate them - it's rare that someone's sitting for a portrait when your protagonist first meets them and whether they're talking or walking, it's likely that they're moving in some way.
• Use metaphors or similes  - comparing physical features to emotionally charged items conjures both an image and a sense of who someone is.
• Involve your protagonist  - if your protagonist is interacting with a character, make it personal.  How does your protagonist view this person?  Incorporate the description as part of the description.
• Only give information your protagonist knows  - they may know if someone is an adult, or a teenager, but they won't know that someone is 37 years old, for example.

Here are three examples of character descriptions that leave no doubt how the protagonist feels.

“If girls could spit venom, it'd be through their eyes.” S.D. Lawendowski,  Snapped

"And Ronan was everything that was left: molten eyes and a smile made for war." Maggie Stiefvater,  The Dream Thieves

"His mouth was such a post office of a mouth that he had a mechanical appearance of smiling." Charles Dickens

Spend 5 minutes writing a character introduction that is animated, uses metaphors or similes and involves your protagonist.

If working with a group, then form small groups of 3 or 4 and share your description with the rest of the group.

Onomatopeai, rhyme and alliteration

Today's session is all about sound.

Several authors recommend reading your writing out loud after you've written it to be sure it sounds natural.   Philip Pullman  even goes as far as to say:

"When I’m writing, I’m more conscious of the sound, actually, than the meaning. I know what the rhythm of the sentence is going to be before I know what the words are going to be in it."

For today's exercise, choose the name of a song and write for 10 minutes as if that's the title for a short story. Focus on how your writing sounds and aim to include at least one onomatopoeia, rhyme or alliteration.  At the end of the 10 minutes, read it out loud to yourself, or to the group.

Alliterations

An alliteration example from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”

The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow followed free; We were the first that ever burst Into that silent sea.

Onomatopoeias

Buzz, woof, quack, baa, crash, purr, beep, belch,...

The alphabet story - creating a story as a group

This is a novel way to write a story as a group, one word at a time.  The first person starts the story that begins with any word starting with “A”, the next person continues the story with a word starting with “B”, and so on.

Keep going round until you have completed the alphabet.  Ideally it will all be one sentence, but if you get stuck, start a new sentence.  Don’t worry if it doesn’t make complete sense!

It can be tricky to remember the alphabet when under pressure, so you may wish to print it out a couple of times, so the storytellers can see it if they need to, this is particularly helpful if you have dyslexics in the group.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Here’s an example of an alphabet story:

A Band Can Dance Each Friday, Ghostly Hauntings In Jail Kill Lucky Men, Nobody Or Perhaps Quiet Rats, Still That Unifies Villains Who X-Ray Your Zebras.

As I mentioned, it doesn’t need to make sense!

A question or two

Small or large groups

The standard format in our group is a short writing exercise followed by an hour and a half of silent writing on our projects.

At one point I felt like we'd done a lot of small group exercises, and wanted to gain an insight into what everyone was working on, so we did the following exercise instead:

Go round the table and ask everyone to briefly talk about their writing.  Each person then asks one or two yes/no questions.

Everyone responds either by raising their hand for 'yes' or shaking their heads for 'no'. You can also leap up and down to indicate a very strong 'yes'.

Questions can be about anything, and you can use them either to help guide your writing or to help find other people in the group who have similar interests.

Here are some random examples you might ask:

• I want to write a romance novel and am considering setting it in Paris, a traditional romantic setting, or Liverpool which is a less obvious setting. Who thinks Liverpool would be best?
• I need to know more about the life of a farmer. Has anyone got farming experience who I can interview in exchange for a drink?
• My character gets fired and that night goes back to his office and steals 35 computers. Does that sound realistic as the premise of a story?

This works best when you give participants some advance notice, so they have time to think of a question.

Murder Mystery Game

Groups of 3 or 4

This exercise takes 20-30 minutes and allows participants to create a murder mystery outline together.

Phase 1 (3 minutes)

• Split into groups of 3 or 4
• Decide as a group where the murder occurs (e.g. the opera house, a bar, a casino)
• Decide one person who will write the details of the victim and the murder itself.  Everyone else writes the details of one suspect each.
• The ‘victim author’ then invents a few extra details about the scene of the crime, who the victim was (a teenage punk, an adult opera singer, etc.) and the murder weapon and summarises this to the others.

Phase 2 (10 minutes)

Each person then writes a police report as if they are either describing the scene of the crime, or recording the notes from their interview with a single suspect:

Write the following:

• 1 line description of the victim.
• When they were last seen by a group of witnesses (and what they were doing).
• How the murder occurred in more detail based on the evidence available.

Write the following (from the perspective of the investigator):

• 1 line description of the suspect
• What they said during the interview (including what they claim to have doing when the murder occurs).
• A possible motivation (as determined by the police from other witnesses).

Phase 3 (5 minutes)

• Each person reads out their police reports to the other members of their small group
• As a group, decide who the murderer was and what actually happened

See more ideas on  creating murder mystery party games

The obscure movie exercise

Pick a famous movie and spend 5 minutes writing a scene from it from an unusual perspective.  Your aim is to achieve a balance between being too obscure and making it too obvious.  Feel free to add internal dialogue.

At the end of the 5 minutes, everyone reads their movie scene to the others and all the other participants see if they can guess what the movie is.

How to hint at romantic feelings

Write a scene with two people in a group, where you hint that one is romantically interested in the other, but the feelings aren’t reciprocated.

The goal of this exercise is to practice subtlety. Imagine you are setting a scene for the future where the characters feelings will become more important. Choose a situation like a work conference, meeting with a group of friends, etc. How do you indicate how the characters feel without them saying it in words?

Some tips for hinting at romantic feelings:

• Make the characters nervous and shy.
• Your protagonist leans forward.
• Asks deeper questions and listens intently.
• Finds ways to be close together.
• Mirrors their gestures.
• Gives lots of compliments.
• Makes eye contact, then looks away.
• Other people seem invisible to your protagonist.

A novel idea

Take it in turns to tell everyone else about a current project you’re working on (a book, screenplay, short story, etc.)

The other writers then brainstorm ideas for related stories you could write, or directions your project could take.  There are no right or wrong suggestions and the intention is to focus on big concepts, not little details.

This whole exercise takes around 15 minutes.

Creative writing prompts

Exercise for groups of 3-5

If you're in larger group, split up into groups of 3 or 4 people.

Everyone writes the first line of a story in the Zoom chat, or on paper. Other people can then choose this line as a writing prompt.

For this exercise:

• Say who the protagonist is.
• Reveal their motivation.
• Introduce any other characters

Once everyone's written a prompt, each author chooses a prompt (preferably someone eles's, but it can be your own if you feel really inspired by it.)  Then write for 10 minutes using this prompt. See if you can reveal who the protagonist is, what their motivation is (it can be a small motivation for a particular scene, it doesn't have to be a huge life goal), and introduce at least one new character.

Take turns reading out your stories to each other.

• Write in the first person.
• Have the protagonist interacting with an object or something in nature.
• The challenge is to create intrigue that makes the reader want to know more with just a single line.

Creative story cards / dice

Cut up a piece of paper and write one word on each of the pieces of paper, as follows:

Give each participant a couple of pieces of paper at random.  The first person says the first sentence of a story and they must use their first word as part of that sentence.  The second person then continues the story and must include their word in it, and so on.  Go round the group twice to complete the story.

You can also do this creative writing exercise with story dice, your own choice of words, or by asking participants to write random words down themselves, then shuffling all the cards together.

Alternative Christmas Story

Every Christmas adults tell kids stories about Santa Claus. In this exercise you write a Christmas story from an alternative dimension.

What if every Christmas Santa didn't fly around the world delivering presents on his sleigh pulled by reindeer? What if gnomes or aliens delivered the presents? Or perhaps it was the gnomes who are trying to emulate the humans? Or some other Christmas tradition entirely that we humans have never heard of!

Group writing exercise

If you're working with a group, give everyone a couple of minutes to write two possible themes for the new Christmas story. Each theme should be 5 words or less.

Shuffle the paper and distribute them at random. If you're working online, everyone types the themes into the Zoom or group chat. Each writer then spends 10 minutes writing a short story for children based on one of the two themes, or their own theme if they really want to.

If working alone, choose your own theme and spend 15 minutes writing a short story on it. See if you can create the magic of Christmas from another world!

Murder Mystery Mind Map

In a murder mystery story or courtroom drama, there's often conflicting information and lots of links between characters. A mind map is an ideal way to illustrate how everything ties together.

Split into groups of 3 or 4 people each and place a blank piece of A3 paper (double the size of A4) in the middle of each group. Discuss between you who the victim is and write their name in the middle of the piece of paper. Then brainstorm information about the murder, for example:

Feel free to expand out from any of these, e.g. to include more information on the different characters involved.

The idea is that  everyone writes at the same time!   Obviously, you can discuss ideas, but anyone can dive in and write their ideas on the mind map.

• Who was the victim? (job, appearance, hobbies, etc.)
• Who did the victim know?
• What were their possible motivations?
• What was the murder weapon?
• What locations are significant to the plot?

New Year’s resolutions for a fictional character

If you’re writing a piece of fiction, ask yourself how your protagonist would react to an everyday situation. This can help you to gain a deeper insight into who they are.

One way to do this is to imagine what their New Year’s resolutions would be.

If completing this exercise with a group, limit it to 3 to 5 resolutions per person. If some participants are historical fiction or non-fiction writers, they instead pick a celebrity and either write what their resolutions  will  be, or what their resolutions  should  be, their choice.

Verb Noun Fiction Exercise (Inspired by Stephen King)

Stephen King said, "I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops."

He also said, "Take any noun, put it with any verb, and you have a sentence. It never fails. Rocks explode. Jane transmits. Mountains float. These are all perfect sentences. Many such thoughts make little rational sense, but even the stranger ones (Plums deify!) have a kind of poetic weight that’s nice."

In this fiction writing exercise, start by brainstorming (either individually or collectively) seven verbs on seven different pieces of paper. Put those aside for later. Now brainstorm seven nouns. Randomly match the nouns and verbs so you have seven pairs. Choose a pair and write a piece of fiction for ten minutes. Avoid using any adverbs.

It’s the end of the world

It’s the end of the world!  For 5 minutes either:

If working as a team, then after the 5 minutes is up each writer reads their description out to the other participants.

• Describe how the world’s going to end, creating evocative images using similes or metaphors as you wish and tell the story from a global perspective, or
• Describe how you spend your final day before the world is destroyed.  Combine emotion and action to engage the reader.

7 Editing Exercises

For use after your first draft

I’ve listened to a lot of masterclasses on writing by successful authors and they all say variants of your first draft won’t be good and that’s fine. Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman summarise it the best:

“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.”  

Terry Pratchett

“For me, it’s always been a process of trying to convince myself that what I’m doing in a first draft isn’t important. One way you get through the wall is by convincing yourself that it doesn’t matter. No one is ever going to see your first draft. Nobody cares about your first draft. And that’s the thing that you may be agonising over, but honestly, whatever you’re doing can be fixed… For now, just get the words out. Get the story down however you can get it down, then fix it.”

Neil Gaiman

Once you’ve written your first draft, it will need editing to develop the plot, enhance the characters, and improve each scene in a myriad of ways – small and large. These seven creative editing exercises are designed to help with this stage of the process.

The First Sentence

Read the first paragraph of the novel, in particular the first sentence. Does it launch the reader straight into the action? According to  On Writing and Worldbuilding  by Timothy Hickson,  “The most persuasive opening lines are succinct, and not superfluous. To do this, it is often effective to limit it to a single central idea… This does not need to be the most important element, but it should be a central element that is interesting.” Ask yourself what element your opening sentence encapsulates and whether it’s the best one to capture your readers’ attention.

Consistency

Consistency is crucial in creative writing, whether it’s in relation to location, objects, or people.

It’s also crucial for personality, emotions and motivation.

Look at scenes where your protagonist makes an important decision. Are their motivations clear? Do any scenes force them to choose between two conflicting morals? If so, do you explore this? Do their emotions fit with what’s happened in previous scenes?

As you edit your manuscript, keep the characters’ personality, emotions and motivation in mind. If their behaviour is inconsistent, either edit it for consistency, or have someone comment on their strange behaviour or be surprised by it. Inconsistent behaviour can reveal that a character is keeping a secret, or is under stress, so characters don’t always need to be consistent. But when they’re not, there has to be a reason.  

Show Don’t Tell One

This exercise is the first in  The Emotional Craft of Fiction  by Donald Maass. It’s a writing guide with a plethora of editing exercises designed to help you reenergize your writing by thinking of what your character is feeling, and giving you the tools to make your reader feel something.  

• Select a moment in your story when your protagonist is moved, unsettled, or disturbed… Write down all the emotions inherent in this moment, both obvious and hidden.
• Next, considering what he is feeling, write down how your protagonist can act out. What is the biggest thing your protagonist can do? What would be explosive, out of bounds, or offensive? What would be symbolic? … Go sideways, underneath, or ahead. How can your protagonist show us a feeling we don’t expect to see?
• Finally, go back and delete all the emotions you wrote down at the beginning of this exercise. Let actions and spoken words do the work. Do they feel too big, dangerous, or over-the-top? Use them anyway. Others will tell you if you’ve gone too far, but more likely, you haven’t gone far enough.

Show Don’t Tell Two

Search for the following words in your book:

Whenever these words occur, ask yourself if you can demonstrate how your characters feel, rather than simply stating it. For each occasion, can you use physiological descriptors (a racing heart), actions (taking a step backwards) or dialogue to express what’s just happened instead? Will this enhance the scene and engage the reader more?

After The Action

Find a scene where your characters disagree – in particular a scene where your protagonist argues with friends or allies. What happens next?

It can be tempting to wrap up the action with a quick resolution. But what if a resentment lingers and mistrust builds? This creates a more interesting story arc and means a resolution can occur later, giving the character development a real dynamic.

Review how you resolve the action and see if you can stretch out the emotions for a more satisfying read.

Eliminating the Fluff

Ensure that the words used don’t detract from the enormity of the events your character is going through. Can you delete words like, “Quite”, “Little”, or “Rather”? 

Of “Very” Florence King once wrote: “ 'Very' is the most useless word in the English language and can always come out. More than useless, it is treacherous because it invariably weakens what it is intended to strengthen .” Delete it, or replace the word after it with a stronger word, which makes “Very” redundant.

“That,” is another common word used in creative writing which can often be deleted. Read a sentence as is, then reread it as if you deleted, “That”. If the meaning is the same, delete it.

Chapter Endings

When talking about chapter endings, James Patterson said,  “At the end, something has to propel you into the next chapter.”

Read how each of your chapters finish and ask yourself does it either:

• End on a cliff hanger? (R.L. Stine likes to finish every chapter in this method).
• End on a natural pause (for example, you’re changing point of view or location).

Review how you wrap up each of your chapters. Do you end at the best point in your story? Can you add anticipation to cliff hangers? Will you leave your readers wanting more?

How to run the writing exercises

The editing exercises are designed to be completed individually.

With the others, I've always run them as part of a creative writing group, where there's no teacher and we're all equal participants, therefore I keep any 'teaching' aspect to a minimum, preferring them to be prompts to generate ideas before everyone settles down to do the silent writing. We've recently gone online and if you run a group yourself, whether online or in person, you're welcome to use these exercises for free!

The times given are suggestions only and I normally get a feel for how everyone's doing when time's up and if it's obvious that everyone's still in the middle of a discussion, then I give them longer.  Where one group's in the middle of a discussion, but everyone else has finished, I sometimes have a 'soft start' to the silent writing, and say, "We're about to start the hour and a half of silent writing now, but if you're in the middle of a discussion, feel free to finish it first".

This way everyone gets to complete the discussion, but no-one's waiting for ages.  It's also important to emphasise that there's no wrong answers when being creative.

Still looking for more? Check out these creative writing prompts  or our dedicated Sci-Fi and Fantasy creative writing prompts

If you've enjoyed these creative writing exercises, please share them on social media, or link to them from your blog.

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Alphabet Brainstorming: From A to Z, Exploring Creative Paths

My name is Debbie, and I am passionate about developing a love for the written word and planting a seed that will grow into a powerful voice that can inspire many.

Are you tired of hitting a creative roadblock? Do you find yourself staring at a blank page, struggling to come up with fresh and innovative ideas? Well, it’s time to shake things up and ditch the conventional brainstorming methods. Introducing alphabet brainstorming – a unique and exciting approach that will take you on a journey of creativity from A to Z. In this article, we delve into the fascinating world of alphabet brainstorming, exploring its limitless potential to unlock your imagination and ignite a fire of inspiration. Get ready to embark on a creative adventure as we uncover the secrets of this unconventional technique and discover how it can revolutionize your creative process.

What is Alphabet Brainstorming and How Can It Boost Creativity?

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Alphabet brainstorming, also known as ABC brainstorming, is a powerful technique that can ignite your creativity and unlock new ideas. This method involves generating a list of words or concepts, starting with each letter of the alphabet. By challenging your mind to explore different possibilities, you can break free from rigid thinking patterns and tap into fresh perspectives.

So, how exactly can alphabet brainstorming boost creativity? Allow me to share some remarkable benefits this technique offers:

• Stimulates Divergent Thinking: With each letter, you are compelled to think outside the box and consider various avenues. This encourages divergent thinking , aiming to generate a wide range of unique ideas to choose from.
• Enhances Problem-Solving Skills: Alphabet brainstorming forces you to approach challenges from different angles. By exploring alternative options for every letter, you gain a more comprehensive understanding of the problem, paving the way for inventive solutions.
• Fosters Flexibility: This method encourages adaptability and flexibility in thinking. As you brainstorm, you train your brain to be more open to different possibilities, enabling you to embrace change and adapt to new situations.
• Expands Vocabulary: The process of generating diverse words for each letter stretches your linguistic capabilities. Engaging in alphabet brainstorming helps enrich your vocabulary, allowing you to communicate more effectively and precisely in your creative endeavors.

In today’s fast-paced world , where innovation and creativity are highly valued, harnessing our imaginative potential is a crucial skill. When it comes to brainstorming, traditional methods may sometimes fall short in generating fresh ideas. That’s where Alphabet Brainstorming Techniques come into play, offering a fun and effective way to unlock our creative prowess.

Alphabet Brainstorming Techniques involve associating each letter of the alphabet with a specific category or theme, allowing our thoughts to branch out in unexpected directions. By prompting our minds to explore topics beyond the obvious, these techniques stimulate divergent thinking and encourage us to uncover novel perspectives. Whether you’re embarking on a new project or seeking innovative solutions to a problem, Alphabet Brainstorming Techniques can fuel your imagination and provide a rich tapestry of innovative ideas for any endeavor.

• Letter Association: Assign a word or concept to each letter of the alphabet and explore associations and connections with your topic of interest.
• Alphabet Stream: Write down words or short phrases related to your focus area, starting with each letter of the alphabet in sequential order. This technique helps uncover unexpected connections and ideas.
• Reverse Alphabet: Begin with the last letter of the alphabet, brainstorming words, concepts, or ideas associated with your topic. Progress backward through the letters, challenging your mind to think outside the box.

By applying these techniques, you’ll discover your creative boundaries expanding, enabling you to generate innovative ideas that might have remained hidden using traditional brainstorming approaches. Remember, the key is to let your imagination run wild and embrace the unconventional. So, why limit your creative potential? Unleash your imagination with Alphabet Brainstorming Techniques today and transform the way you approach problem-solving and idea generation!

Brainstorming is a powerful technique for generating ideas and solutions, and the Alphabet Brainstorming Process takes it a step further. This step-by-step guide will help you navigate through this creative brainstorming method. Follow these easy steps to unleash your creativity and unlock new possibilities.

Step 1: Define your topic

• Begin by clearly defining the topic or problem you want to brainstorm about. Write it down in a concise and specific manner, so everyone involved can have a clear understanding.
• Make sure to set a time limit for each step to keep the process focused and efficient.
• For example, if you want to brainstorm ideas for a marketing campaign, your topic could be “Ways to promote our new product.”

Step 2: Start with the letter ‘A’

• Think of as many words as possible related to your topic that start with the letter ‘A.’ Don’t worry about their relevance or quality at this stage; the goal is to generate as many ideas as possible.
• Write down each word that comes to mind, and encourage others to share their ideas as well. Remember, no idea is too far-fetched in brainstorming!
• For our marketing campaign example, ‘A’ words could include “advertisements,” “attractive packaging,” “affiliate marketing,” or “attention-grabbing slogans.”

Continue this process, moving through each letter of the alphabet in successive steps. Along the way, feel free to connect ideas, expand on them, or introduce variations. The Alphabet Brainstorming Process allows for free-flowing creativity, enabling you to discover unique and unexpected solutions. Give it a try and watch your brainstorming session reach new heights!

Are you looking for a creative and efficient way to brainstorm? Look no further than alphabet brainstorming! This technique, also known as A to Z brainstorming, is a powerful tool that taps into the boundless potential of the alphabet to ignite your imagination and generate fresh ideas.

With alphabet brainstorming, you can approach problem-solving from a new angle, while boosting your creativity and expanding your thought process. By utilizing each letter of the alphabet, you can explore various possibilities and uncover solutions that may have otherwise remained hidden. So, how does alphabet brainstorming work?

• Step 1: Begin by writing down the alphabet in a clear, organized manner.
• Step 2: Select a topic or problem that you want to brainstorm on.
• Step 3: Associate a word or phrase related to the topic with each letter of the alphabet, starting from A to Z.

This structured approach helps you break free from conventional thinking and encourages you to explore unconventional connections. The beauty of alphabet brainstorming lies in its versatility. It can be applied to various fields, such as business, writing, or problem-solving in general. So, whether you’re searching for a unique product name or overcoming a creative block, alphabet brainstorming acts as a catalyst to spark fresh ideas!

Harnessing the Power of Alphabet Brainstorming: Tips for Maximum Effectiveness

When it comes to brainstorming, there are countless techniques out there, but one that truly stands out is Alphabet Brainstorming. This method may sound simple, but it can unlock a whole new level of creativity and organization in your brainstorming sessions. Here are some tips to help you harness the power of Alphabet Brainstorming for maximum effectiveness:

The beauty of Alphabet Brainstorming lies in its structure. Start by listing each letter of the alphabet from A to Z on a piece of paper or your favorite digital tool. Take your time and explore words, ideas, or concepts that could be relevant to your brainstorming topic, starting with each respective letter. Going through the alphabet forces your mind to think outside the box, as you won’t solely focus on the most obvious ideas.

Alphabet Brainstorming encourages you to make connections that may not have been apparent initially. Instead of moving from A to Z in a linear fashion, allow your mind to jump around the alphabet. Sometimes, a random word that begins with J might trigger a brilliant idea for a solution that starts with B. Encourage yourself and your team to question assumptions and experiment with unconventional connections to maximize the creative potential of this technique.

By implementing these tips, you can tap into Alphabet Brainstorming’s magic and experience the true potential it holds. Remember that with practice, your brainstorming sessions can become more innovative and efficient, ultimately leading to groundbreaking ideas and solutions.

When it comes to brainstorming, sometimes our creative thinking hits a roadblock and we find ourselves struggling to generate new ideas. That’s where the Alphabet Technique comes in, offering a fresh approach to kickstart your brainstorming sessions.

The Alphabet Technique involves using each letter of the alphabet as a prompt to help you generate ideas. Here’s how it works:

• Step 1: Start by listing the letters of the alphabet vertically on a sheet of paper or a digital document.
• Step 2: Choose a specific topic or problem you want to brainstorm ideas for.
• Step 3: Begin thinking of words, phrases, or concepts that relate to your chosen topic, starting with each letter of the alphabet.
• Step 4: Don’t worry about filtering or evaluating your ideas at this stage. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible.
• Step 5: Once you have completed the alphabet, review your list and identify the most promising ideas that stand out.

By using the Alphabet Technique, you can break free from conventional thinking patterns and unlock a wealth of creative ideas that you may have never considered before. So next time you find yourself stuck in a brainstorming session, give this technique a try and take your ideation process to the next level!

When it comes to problem-solving, thinking outside the box is often the key to finding innovative and effective solutions. One technique that can help unlock creativity and transform the way we approach problems is the practice of alphabet brainstorming. This simple yet powerful tool involves generating ideas, concepts, or solutions that correspond to every letter of the alphabet. By imposing this constraint, the mind is pushed to explore new perspectives and connections, expanding the range of possibilities considered.

Alphabet brainstorming offers a structured approach to problem-solving, stimulating both analytical and creative thinking processes. Here’s how it works – you start by listing the alphabet from A to Z, then assign a problem or topic you wish to find solutions for. As you progress through each letter, your goal is to brainstorm ideas or potential solutions that begin with that corresponding letter. For instance, if you’re brainstorming solutions for improving workplace communication, starting with the letter “A,” you might come up with ideas like “assigning mentors,” “automating routine tasks,” or “adopting collaborative platforms.”

Are you looking for a fresh approach to boost your creative thinking? Look no further than alphabet brainstorming. This innovative technique, recommended by experts in the field, can help unlock new ideas and take your creativity to the next level.

So, how does alphabet brainstorming work? It’s simple yet powerful. Start by selecting a topic or problem you want to explore creatively. Then, follow these expert-recommended steps:

• List all the letters of the alphabet: Create a numbered list from A to Z on a piece of paper or use a digital tool for ease.
• Brainstorm ideas for each letter: Dedicate a few minutes to generate ideas starting with each letter. Be open-minded, let your thoughts flow naturally, and don’t censor yourself during this process.
• Sort and refine: Once you have completed the brainstorming session, review your list. Identify the most intriguing ideas and consider how they could be further developed or combined to form even more creative solutions.

The beauty of alphabet brainstorming lies in its ability to break conventional thinking patterns. It compels you to think outside the box, exploring possibilities you may not have considered before. By leveraging this method, your mind becomes trained to find connections and innovative ideas where you least expected them.

Q: What is alphabet brainstorming? A: Alphabet brainstorming is a creative technique used to generate ideas or solutions to a problem by exploring all possible options starting from each letter of the alphabet.

Q: How does alphabet brainstorming work? A: To start alphabet brainstorming, you list the alphabet from A to Z vertically on a piece of paper or a digital document. Then, you brainstorm ideas or solutions, starting with each letter of the alphabet. The goal is to come up with as many ideas as possible, even if they seem far-fetched or unconventional.

Q: Why is alphabet brainstorming useful? A: Alphabet brainstorming encourages thinking outside the box and stimulates creative thinking. It ensures that a wide range of ideas are generated, rather than only focusing on the most obvious ones. This technique also prompts you to explore ideas you may not have considered otherwise, leading to innovative solutions.

Q: How can alphabet brainstorming be applied in different areas? A: Alphabet brainstorming can be applied across various fields. It can be used in problem-solving situations, such as finding new business ideas, creating marketing strategies, developing inventions, or planning events. Additionally, it can unleash creativity in writing, generating story ideas, character names, or even content for social media.

Q: Can you provide an example of alphabet brainstorming? A Aardvark B Balloon C Caterpillar D Disco E Elephant F Fireworks G Galaxy H Hot air balloon I Ice cream J Jellyfish K Kangaroo L Lightning M Moon N Narwhal O Octopus P Pizza Q Quokka R Rainbow S Sunflower T Tiger U Unicorn V Volcano W Watermelon X Xylophone Y Yoga Z Zebra

Q: Are there any tips for effective alphabet brainstorming? A: Absolutely! To make the most of alphabet brainstorming, it’s essential to suspend judgment during the process and embrace any and all ideas that come to mind. Encourage wild, imaginative, and unexpected ideas. Additionally, setting a time limit can help maintain focus and prevent overthinking.

Q: Can alphabet brainstorming be done in a group setting? A: Yes, definitely! Alphabet brainstorming can be an excellent activity for group settings. Each participant can contribute ideas starting with different letters, allowing for a diverse range of concepts. It sparks lively discussions and encourages collaboration, leading to even more creative solutions.

Q: How can alphabet brainstorming help overcome creative blocks? A: When facing creative blocks, alphabet brainstorming can serve as a powerful tool to get the ideas flowing again. It encourages approaching a problem from different angles, shaking up established thought patterns, and enabling fresh, innovative thinking.

Q: Are there any variations to alphabet brainstorming? A: Absolutely! While the traditional A-to-Z approach is the most common, variations can add an extra layer of creativity. For example, you can choose a specific theme or industry and brainstorm ideas related to each letter. Another approach is to reverse the order and brainstorm starting from Z to A. These variations keep the process engaging and exciting.

Q: Are there any other brainstorming techniques worth exploring? A: Yes, several other brainstorming techniques can be as effective as alphabet brainstorming. Some popular techniques include mind mapping, random word association, role-playing, and SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse). Exploring different techniques helps diversify your creative repertoire and keeps your brainstorming sessions dynamic.

Branding Brilliance: A Step-by-Step Guide to Brainstorming a Brand Name

Setting Brainstorming Ground Rules for Successful Sessions

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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Alphabetical stories: a sample 26 sentence creative writing exercise.

Alphabetizing With Original Stories

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

This lesson challenges students to write original stories using alphabetical order. For students who are still developing a basic understanding of alphabetization, the entire class can write one story, beginning each page with a new letter. Challenge more advanced students to write their own stories or to compose the words in each sentence in alphabetical order. Students can illustrate their texts in class or at home with their families. Although this lesson was primarily written for a first- or second-grade class, modifications can be made to allow kindergarten students to have success with alphabetizing as well.

Featured Resources

Online Alphabet Organizer : Students will use this interactive tool to list words they can think of that begin with each alphabet letter.

Alphabet Organizer mobile app: Students use this mobile app to create alphabet pages using a tablet device.

From Theory to Practice

• Alphabetizing is essential for students to be able to use reference materials such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and telephone directories.
• Alphabetizing is a skill that is typically confined to writing or worksheet activities.
• Students enjoy alphabetizing environmental print word cards because the materials are colorful and meaningful to students.

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
• 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

• Appropriate writing instruments
• Illustration materials (e.g., crayons, markers, scissors, glue, collage materials)
• Legal-sized paper or half-sheets of poster board (max. of 13 per student/group)
• Sentence strips or strips of cardstock measuring approx. 2"x11" (max. of 26 strips per student/group)
• Student computers with Internet access and print capability
• Student Grid Assessment
• Alphabetical Story Review
• Alphabetical Stories Rubric

Preparation

Note: Students should already be familiar with alphabetical order prior to this lesson. This lesson offers continued practice with the concept.

Student Objectives

Students will

• Build a better understanding of alphabetical order through multiple exposures to the concept in one cohesive experience
• Practice their alphabetizing skills by creating either an individual or class book that demonstrates words in alphabetical order

Instructions & Activities

Explain to students that they will be creating books that demonstrate words in alphabetical order. Remind students of a previous lesson that you conducted on alphabetical order to further introduce the topic. The From Theory to Practice article contains additional resources that may also be useful for introductory purposes.

• Ask students to line up in alphabetical order when walking to another activity or class. Students can line up by last name or first name.
• When reading new texts, make cards with character names on them. Allow each student to draw a picture for one character. Not only can roles be assigned to act out the story using these cards, but students can also use them for alphabetizing tasks.

Ask pairs of students to help clean up the book center by alphabetizing books on the shelves by title. For more advanced students, have them alphabetize by the author's last name. Use items in a dramatic play center, such as cereal boxes and cans, for students to practice alphabetizing. Be sure to show students both vertical and horizontal ways to alphabetize.

• Place a photograph of each student on a nametag or magnet. Allow students to organize their own pictures or names in alphabetical order on the chalkboard or on a desk.

Student Assessment / Reflections

The assessment tools provided with this lesson are only samples. Please modify them as necessary to match the skill levels of your students.

• Formal assessment. Use the Alphabetical Stories Rubric to assess each student's book or individual page in the group book.
• Anecdotal notes. Use a seating chart or grid of student names to keep a record of which students were most challenged at each portion of the lesson. This can also be used to keep a record of students who particularly enjoyed or disliked a portion of the lesson, in order to assess the accuracy of the student personal reflections. A sample Student Grid Assessment is provided.
• Peer assessment. Provide access to students' alphabet books in the classroom library, and place copies of the Alphabetical Story Review nearby. Allow students to "rate" their peers' books, providing suggestions or justification for their ratings. Provide a "locking" mailbox for students to submit their reviews to you. You can then compile the best comments and provide students with anonymous feedback on their alphabet books.
• Student reflection. Have students write or dictate a brief reflection on what they liked and disliked about the lesson process. If they felt that the task was hard, ask them to explain which step was most difficult and why.

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Explore Resources by Grade

• Kindergarten K

Smarty Pants Kids

Learning made fun, letter stories from a-z (audio & pdf).

Letter Stories From A-Z is for Pre-Readers and is designed to ‘Read-Aloud’, for Recognizing Letters in Context, Drawing, and Art. 

This method will also would work for Readers, who can read the stories for Language/Literacy, Story-Telling, as well as Art.

For Educators:

Run copies for each child. Use Pre-Readers as a ‘Read-Aloud’. Readers are independent. Children follow words or read. 

Instructions: 

• “Put a line under each Letter”. Use a red crayon.
• Color the black and white picture.
• Draw your own original of the black and white picture on the space provided or the back of the sheet.
• Discuss the Fun Facts.

Older Students: 

‘Tweak’ the worksheets. Instruct them to “Draw a Circle” around each animal word, or every verb, noun, or other grammatical or parts of speech elements.  Discuss the Fun Facts.

Jo Carol Hebert is creator of Letter Stories From A-Z and of the Curriculum Corner . She is retired from forty years in the early childhood classroom, where she created and implemented original curriculum in all areas of disciplines and genres.

“A” is for Andrew the Anteater pdf

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“B” is for Bumper the Beaver pdf

“c” is for the canary, the crow, and the clever cat pdf, “d” is for do you know the dodo pdf.

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“E” is for Emma, the Over-Eager Emu pdf

**************************************************************************************************************************************

“F” is for Farley the Frog pdf – Farley Mask pdf  Fox Mask pdf   (For masks; color, cut, punch holes and tie yarn or string).

***********************************************************************************************************************************************

“G” is for The Giraffe and the Gerbil pdf

***************************************************************************************************************************************

“H” is for Henry, the Hippopotamus pdf

************************************************************************************************************************************

“I” is for My Life As A Lizard pdf

“j” is for jellyfish pdf, “k” is for k” is for kanga-rooga pdf, “l” is for a llama for luis pdf.

*******************************************************************************************************************************

“M” is for Meet the Many “M” Animals pdf

“n” is for norbert, the narwhal – lost at sea pdf, “o” is for owen and babe oxen pdf, “p” is for peter possum picks a peck of pickled peppers pdf, “q” is for the quest for the quaint quagga pdf, “r” is for the river rat and the ring-tailed raccoon pdf.

*************************************************************************************************************************************

“S” is for The Web the Spider Built pdf

*********************************************************************************************************************************************

“T” is for The Terrible Tyrannosaurus Rex! pdf

*************************************************************************************************************************************************

“U” is for I See Unicorns pdf

“v” is for vicunas for evita pdf, “w” is for wharton whale’s long journey pdf.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

“X” is for The ‘X’ Letter Zoo pdf

“y” is for yan-yan and yong yak and the tibetan tiger pdf, “z” is for zachary, the ‘zany’ zebra pdf.

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Alphabet story writing.

Useful resource which can be used as a little taster of GCSE for FS learners, or as a GCSE activity to challenge repetitive sentence starts, use of adverbs to begin sentences, to explore structure and language in their own writing. A way to get words onto paper and develop a narrative.

Editor's note

I love this! As Nikki says, a great way to encourage reluctant writers to put pen to paper (and keen writers can let their imaginations run wild!). Clear step by step guidance makes the learner carefully consider the entire product including a front cover and the back cover blurb.

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A Big, Bold List of Creative Writing Activities

by Melissa Donovan | Jan 4, 2024 | Creative Writing | 24 comments

Try some of these creative writing activities.

Are you looking for writing motivation, inspiration, or ideas that will give your latest project an extra boost?

Below you’ll find a massive list of creative writing activities. Some of these activities will keep you writing when you’re in need of ideas and inspiration. Others will improve your writing skills and techniques through practice. Some will give you experience with forms and genres you haven’t tried. And others will help you promote your writing once it’s published.

Pick any activity and use it as a creative outlet. Bring a few activities to your writing group or do one with your kids. Use these creative writing activities in any way you want.

Start a Journal

Journaling is an excellent way to maintain a steady writing practice, and there are lots of different journals you can write: gratitude journals, dream journals, media journals, poetry journals, and idea journals, to name a few.

Image Prompts

Flip through some images on Instagram or Pinterest and see what sparks an idea. Don’t place limitations on your writing—just let the words flow.

Character Letters

Writing letters in your characters’ voices can help you get inside their heads and understand them better so you can write them with more depth and realism. Create an ongoing correspondence to explore character relationships and group dynamics within your cast.

Write Your Bio

Write a series of short bios for your social media accounts and a longer one for your author website. Don’t forget to make a bio for your press kit and another to include in your books.

Rhyme and Meter Exercises

Set your inner musician free by composing lines and couplets in metrical patterns with rhymes. Establish the parameters before you start writing, or just let the words flow and note the meter and rhyme afterward.

Memory Prompts

Grab an old photo album or flip through the photos on your phone—or use recall to bring forth memories that you can write about. Use this as an exercise in writing description or crafting a narrative about something you experienced or witnessed—ideal if you’re interested in writing a memoir.

Writing Exercises

Writing exercises keep your skills sharp and your creativity flowing even when inspiration is fleeting. They are excellent for keeping up your writing practice between projects. Pick up a book of creative writing exercises so you’ll have plenty to choose from.

What-if List

Create a repository of ideas by writing a list of what-if questions that could spark characters, plots, and settings for your future works of fiction or provide ideas you can explore in poetry and nonfiction writing projects.

Newsletters

A mailing list is one of the best ways for an author to connect with a readership. Start planning yours now. You can fill your newsletter with behind-the-scenes material from your books or excerpts from your work in progress. Or write a poem or piece of flash fiction for your newsletter.

Character Diary

The best characters feel like real people, which means the writer has fully gotten into their heads and hearts. One way to do that is to keep a diary in your character’s voice, which will help you establish their innermost thoughts and feelings. And who knows? Maybe a character diary will turn into a novel written in first person!

Your Future Self

Jump at least ten years into the future and write a letter from your current self to your future self, write a letter from your future self to your current self, or write a diary entry as your future self.

Try Writing for Comics

Comics are often partnerships between artists and writers. Give the writing side of comics a try. If you don’t want to draw, just make notes about what the illustrations will depict. Focus on character, plot, and dialogue. Flip through a few comics if you need examples to guide you.

Dream Vacation

Write a few pages describing your dream vacation. Where will you go? How long will you stay? What will you do there? If you’ve already experienced a dream vacation, write about that instead.

Blurb Your Favorite Books

A book blurb is a short statement endorsing a book, often written by another author. Choose a few of your favorite titles and write blurbs for them.

Focus on dialogue by writing a script. It could be a script for a play, a TV series, or a movie, or it can simply be an exercise in practicing or exploring dialogue.

Imagined World History

Create a fictional history for a fantastical or sci-fi story world. What were the origins of the civilization? What are their customs and traditions? Their laws and beliefs?

Write a Recipe

Start with an introduction that makes the reader’s mouth water, and then deliver the recipe, complete with an ingredient list and cooking instructions.

Propose an Adaptation of Your Favorite Book

Do you have a favorite book that’s never been made into a film or television series? Put together a two-page pitch convincing studio executives that this story needs to be seen on a screen.

Write a Letter You’ll Never Send

Write a letter to someone who’s gone, someone who’s upset you, or someone you admire from afar.

Find Poetry

Found poetry is when we use words and phrases from source material to create a poem. This is most often seen as a page of printed text with various words and phrases circled, or all text blacked out except the portions that make up the found poem.

Write a Speech

Write an award acceptance speech; a campaign speech, or a graduation or wedding speech.

Make an Outline

Create an outline for a large-scope project, such as a book or series of books.

This is Like That

Practice writing similes and metaphors. Similes are when one thing is like another (your smile is like sunshine) and metaphors are when one thing is another (your smile is sunshine).

Make a Chapbook

If you’ve written a lot of short pieces, like essays, poems, and short stories, collect them into a chapbook. Bring it to an open mic and take along copies you can sell or give away, or offer it on your blog, website, or social media as a free or premium download.

Create a Motivation Journal

Fill it with things that make you want to write — positive affirmations, favorite lines from poems, quotes of wisdom, and useful reminders. Crack it open whenever you catch yourself procrastinating when you should be writing.

Give Fan Fiction a Whirl

Write a few scenes in your favorite story world. Create new characters or use existing characters. Just remember — you don’t own the intellectual property, so you can’t commercially publish it.

Write a Critique

A critique should start by highlighting the strengths in a piece of writing, and then it should gently but constructively offer feedback that is meant to show the author how to make improvements. You can critique any work, but it would be ideal if you can find a writer friend to swap critiques with.

Write Log Lines for Your Favorite Stories

A log line is a sentence or two that summarizes a story and entices readers. If you’re working on a project, write a log line about it. Log lines are excellent for crystallizing your vision, and they’re also useful for pitching and selling written works.

Start a Legacy Book

A legacy book is a collection of writings and other materials (letters, photos, ephemera, etc.) that can be passed down as a family heirloom. Write about your family history and document significant or memorable family events.

Speculate the Future

What do you think the world will look like in twenty-five years? Fifty? A hundred? A thousand? Write an essay or short story, or create a world-building document for a futuristic civilization.

Write a Film Treatment

Written like a short story in present tense, a film treatment is an overview of an entire film; it’s usually written before the first draft and used for pitching film ideas throughout the industry.

Write a Blog Post

If you write nonfiction, this should be easy; just write a post about one of your usual topics. If you’re a poet or a fiction writer, write about the craft, the industry, or use subject matter from your written works.

Practice Description

Writing description is an important skill. Create a one-page description for a story setting, or describe a location you’ve visited, or write a description of a real person or a fictional character.

Turn Memories Into Magic

Memories can provide a wealth of ideas for any type of writing, from poetry to fiction and a variety of essays. Choose an early memory and write it as a story, essay, or poem.

Social media is ideal for people who can write snappy, witty, and entertaining or engaging vignettes. Social media is an excellent tool for writers to find readers and connect with one another, so mastering a couple of these social platforms is a good idea if you hope to build a career as a writer.

Rewrite What You Don’t Like

Dig through your old, discarded writings and find a piece that had some potential. Then rewrite it.

Analyze a Written Work

Choose a piece of writing (it can be a book, an article, an essay — anything) and then write an analysis of at least 2,000 words (or about four pages).

Read and Resemble

Read a handful of poems by a single poet and then attempt writing a poem in that poet’s voice. This is not an exercise in copying; it’s an exercising in studying the voice of a writer. If you’re feeling ambitious, try it with works of fiction and write a scene in an author’s voice.

Write a Review

Choose a book that you’ve read recently and write a detailed review of it. What worked? What didn’t work? What did you like? What didn’t you like? Remember, a review should help a book find its readers. Who is this book for, if not for you?

Get Busy with These Creative Writing Activities!

What are some of your favorite creative writing activities? Have you done any of the activities on this list? Which ones would you want to try? Can you think of any writing activities to add to this list? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment, and keep writing!

24 Comments

Thank you for all these wonderful ideas. After a very long hiatus from the writing world (mostly because of health) I am feeling a bit rusty. Using some of these ideas will certainly prime the pump! I really enjoy your blog and appreciate the basics of grammar, etc. I find that I have slipped into some old habits just in my everyday writing and your tips help me get back on track.

Thanks, Ann. I’m always touched by comments like yours. It keeps me going when people let me know this blog is helpful or inspiring. So thank you for taking the time. Best of luck and keep writing!

The character journal is a great idea!!!

The problem with the character journal is that it could be time consuming, but I love it as a way to get to know a character, and more specifically, to get inside a character’s head.

All of these ideas are wonderful. I’m especially attracted to the last two suggestions. Both of those activities are fun for me and certainly bound to be helpful concerning my writing skills.

When I must wait in the car (with a sleeping grandchild, for instance) I’m only happy if I can see folks as they come and go.

We play word games on a regular basis and have found it strengthens the writing skills of even those of us who do not call ourselves wordsmiths.

Keep up the excellent work.

Thanks so much for your kind words, Yvonnne. I’m looking forward to the day when the little ones in my family (niece and nephew) are old enough to play word and letter games.

Hi Melissa, Thanks for these wonderful ideas. I ‘m taking a couple of days off from writing my memoir, and will try them out.’Writing as one of my characters’ and ‘sitting in some heavily populated place for observations’ are intriguing.

Those are my two favorites as well. Good luck, Margaret, and enjoy your hiatus. I hope it refreshes you so you can return to your memoir.

Love the character journal idea! To keep my vocab going I choose pages out of the dictionary/thesaurus to keep my brain working. It also does wonders for my muse. 🙂 Thanks for sharing this list.

I write a lot of scenes and backstory for my characters, which are never included in the book. Exploring the characters outside of the narrative has proven to be very helpful in better understanding them.

Hi, Melissa!

Well, I’ve been absent for quite a long while. But I have been busy. A spec piece submitted to my local daily newspaper landed me a column. (Who couldda guessed?) I also write theater reviews for them; write what you know has never been more true.

Consequently, I find that my creative writing has slowed quite a bit. The sequel to my debut needs, maybe, two more chapters yet there it sits, though a production company asked for it. Even reading the preceding few chapters doesn’t help me get into the character’s heads in order to finish the thing.

Got any ideas?

Congrats on landing a column, Paul. That’s awesome. I’m not sure why you’ve been unable to finish your sequel, so I can’t offer any specific suggestions, but you can start by fguring out why you’re not finishing it (no time, lost interest, etc.), and then you can probably rectify the problem.

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing these great ideas.

You’re welcome. Thanks for commenting!

It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut. Every writer needs to step away.

I live near the University of Oregon. Every now and than I take a walk through campus. I try to time it during a busy school day. I wish I could bottle the youthful energy that is floating in the wind.

If any of you live near a school try it.

Thank you for the list. It helps a lot.

Yes, breaks are great refreshers for a creative mind. You’re lucky to live near a beautiful place for walks.

I don’t speek english so, sorry if i write wrong, but i need to tell you that your blog is amazing. Your write it’s soo good and make me wanna write. I have 15 years old and i love write, maybe I become a writter when I grew up, and I don’t know how to make my ideias go for the paper but your blog has helped me. Thank you!!

Hi Isabella. Thanks for sharing your passion for writing. I’m glad you’re enjoying this blog. Keep writing!

Thank you for your useful ideas! You have inspired me to try out new formats. I’m not a professional writer, it’s more my hobby. But still, I want to improve myself by writing texts and short stories.

You’re welcome. I’m glad this inspired you, and I’m thrilled that you’re working toward improvement. That’s wonderful!

Hi Melissa! I just wanted you to know that I recently bought some of your books and I absolutely love them and carry them around with me everywhere. Keep up the amazing work! Best wishes, Sandra Harris.

Wow, you just made my day, Sandra. That’s one of the nicest things anyone has said about my books. I’m so glad you like them. Keep writing!

Thank you for those amaing ideas. I’m not exactly stuck, as I know where my latest book is going, but I’m a bit lacking in motivation right now. Some of your suggestions might just get my juices flowing again.

Hi Vivienne. You’re welcome. I’m glad you found some motivation here. Keep writing!

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50 Awesome Alphabet Books for Children to learn their ABC

• Kindergarten

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For a small fee you can get this site – and all the free goodies – 100% ad-free!

Alphabet books are great for reading with your younger children, making it part of their daily lives and learning as they “read”. Here are 50 of the best and most fun abc books for toddler, preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten age children. From classic books like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Dr Seuss’ The Alphabet Book to new favorites like Alpha Bugs and Shiver Me Letters A Pirate ABC. You will love these  children’s alphabet books .

Alphabet Books

Learning their letters and the sounds they make is important for kids! Before they can learn to read children need to work on letter recognition, knowing what each upper and lowercase letter looks like plus the phonemic sound they make. Using  alphabet books makes the process EASY! Kids will have fun following along with playful characters, animals, Curious George, Thomas the Train, and more throughout the  ABC book to learn their letters from A to Z. With lots of new vocabulary and fun rhyming text these  children’s alphabet books are sure to delight students of all ages as they learn their alphabet letters. Whether you are a parent, teacher, or homeschooler – you will want to pick up a copy of these  alphabet books for preschoolers , toddlers, and kindergartners to enjoy!

Help kids learn their ABCS with these Awesome Alphabet Books for kids.

Starting off with a classic! With Dr. Seuss as your guide, learning the alphabet is as easy as A, B, C !

It’s backwards! It’s inside out! It’s every letter for itself! This laugh-out-loud romp is not your average alphabet book! Filled with visually humorous details, Bob Kolar’s colorful illustrations are the perfect foil for Alethea Kontis’s snappy story about the comic confusion that comes when the letters of the alphabet, like a class of unruly children, step out of order and show that each one has a mind of its own.

A told B and B told C, “I’ll meet you at the top of the coconut tree.”

When all the letters of the alphabet race one another up the coconut tree , will there be enough room?

Teach your preschool child the ABC’s and encourage learning while reading and having fun together with this book that uses pictures of objects and clear word labels to illustrate each letter of the alphabet from to A-Z .

I SPY LETTER S is based on the bestselling I SPY LITTLE LETTERS. Toddlers and preschoolers can search photos from the original I Spy series for letters to help them learn the alphabet.

Alphabet Books for Preschoolers

Smash! Crash! Ka-boom! A is for Aerial lift. B is for Backhoe. C is for Cement Mixer.

Readers explore construction equipment in this noisy alphabet book . Jerry Pallotta’s trademark humor punctuates the informative text. Vibrant oil paintings bring to life a busy construction site.

A. B. C. D. Unfold the full-page flaps to reveal an ant, bear, camel, and duck! Eric Carle’s illustrated alphabet and animals make learning your ABCs as easy as . . . well, A, B, C!

From A to Z, the alphabet gets a seriously silly twist in this Sandra Boynton classic .

Bright Baby Colors, ABC, Numbers

• Introduces three key first concepts: letters, number and colors • Helps babies and toddlers to build their early vocabulary • Large, colorful and sturdy format to withstand repeated learning fun.

This one of a kind, hand illustrated alphabet book combines letters with all of boys’ favorite things–airplanes, dump trucks, and more!

This is a book full of fun, joy, with a grain of humor, yet didactic. The book approaches the teaching of the ABC in a totally different way .

You will find each and every letter with an illustration of an animal whose name starts with that letter, but hey, all the animals wear zebra costumes.

Alphabet Books for Toddlers

Alphabet Books for Kids

Children’s Alphabet Books

A is for Always, that’s where we embark . . . Two children, treasure map in hand, and their pet gazelle sneak past their father, out of their house, and into a world beneath the city, where monsters and pirates roam.

Alphabet Worksheets

See all our alphabet worksheets and Free alphabet printables including worksheets, printable crafts, hands-on activities and more! Plus here are some of our reader favorites:

• Cute Alphabet Coloring Pages helps build vocabulary, letter shaped alphabet coloring pages , and handy free alphabet chart printable , free match the same letters worksheet s
• Printable Alphabet Letter for Crafts and cute abc order worksheets
• Endangered animals find the letter worksheets & missing letter worksheets
• Letter Recognition Worksheets – find and dab, alphabet fish printable , find the letter rain worksheets for preschool , printable abc book with pictures pdf free download , and popular letter recognition worksheets
• Free alphabet printables for toddlers pdf or these a to z worksheet for nursery
• Practice uppercase letter tracing with these super cute animal alphabet cards A-Z or these alphabet animals printable worksheets
• Summer handwriting tracing worksheets , initial sound Snowman coloring pages , or alphabet free insect printables for preschoolers
• Preschool Handwritting practice with color the pictures and trace the upper and lowercase letters or these alphabet matching worksheets
• Fun Alphabet dot marker printables (uppercase and lowercase), these dinosaur alphabet printables , or these find the letter worksheets
• Free printable preschool worksheets tracing letters or these cute letter find Star Wars worksheets
• Bug Alphabet mazes , Bingo Dauber alphabet maze worksheets
• Farm animal tracing worksheets with alphabet practice too
• Color by Code Alphabet coloring worksheets
• Pirate Free Alphabet Printables Worksheets or these alphabet writing practice worksheets pdf (tracing letters), and free printable alphabet worksheets (variety of activities)

Alphabet Activities

• Free printable uppercase alphabet crafts and lowercase letter crafts
• Printable hats alphabet activity for kids
• Simple Alphabet Playdough Mats or these play and learn alphabet playdough mats
• Animal uppercase alphabet tracing cards for preschoolers and lowercase letter tracing cards
• Popsicle Stick Letters with free printable template cards
• Fruit Loop alphabet activity for preschool with snack mats
• SEASONAL – traceable pumpkin alphabet , pumpkin worksheets for preschool , hands-on alphabet Easter egg hunt , build-a-turkey thanksgiving alphabet worksheets , a is for apple printable phonics sounds, sandcastle letter tracing printables , alphabet watermelon activities for preschool
• Bunny abc matching game printable or these flower alphabet matching printable puzzles
• Feed the Monster Printable alphabet game
• Construction phonics activities for preschoolers , tool letter matching games , or these construction alphabet letters tracing
• Magnetic Letters Beginning Sounds Games or these animal letter sounds cards
• Free printable fruits and vegetables alphabet reader
• Plus don’t miss these alphabet activities for kindergarten , letter alphabet crafts , or alphabet handprint art

Looking for more fun, creative ways you can begin your free homeschool ? We have over 1,000,000 pages of Educational Worksheets including resources for: pre k worksheets , kindergarten worksheets , 1st grade worksheets , 2nd grade worksheets , 3rd grade worksheets , 4th grade worksheets , 5th grade worksheets , 6th grade worksheets , and more. Plus see our history lessons for kids , printable math games , language arts worksheets ,  sight word worksheets ,  free alphabet printables , and  cvc word activities for kids of all ages!

Book recommendations for Kids

• Tons of  books for preschoolers  and fun  world book day activities
• Must Read  Kindergarten Reading Books pdf free , free  Kindergarten Reading Level  Book List, Favorite  Read Aloud Books for Kindergarten
• 100 Books for 1st Graders to Read by Themselves –  Level 1 Reading Books pdf free , Fun-to-Read  First Grade Picture Books ,  First Grade Read Aloud Chapter Books
• Chapter Books for 1st Graders , 2nd Graders, and 3rd Graders – favorite series to keep kids reading!
• Best  Read Aloud Chapter Books for 2nd Grade , Check out these  2nd Grade Reading Books pdf free
• Handy  Grade 3 Reading Books pdf FREE
• Free  4th Grade Reading List pdf
• Printable  Grade 5 Reading books pdf
• Grade 7 Reading Books
• List of great 12th Grade Books
• Exciting  Historical Fiction Books for Kids  and 25 Exciting  Historical Fiction Books for 4th Graders
• Alphabet Books for Children,  Transportation Books for Kids ,  Space Books for Kids  that are out-of-this-world,  Funny Picture Books for kids  of all ages, Sweet  Picture Books about Family , Fun  Zoo Books for Kids , best  dinosaur books for kids , 50+  Books about community helpers , Beautiful  Animal Books for Preschoolers ,  Preschool Color Books
• Creepy, Crawly  Bug Books for Preschool  kids,  Rhyming Books for Kindergarten , fun-to read  fall books for kids , and  Preschool emotion books for learning to understand feelings
• See all of our popular  kids books to read and making sense of reading levels !

Reading Comprehension

• Handy, Reading Comprehension bookmarks (any book: fiction or non fiction)
• Free Book Report Template for elementary age students or Book Report Worksheets for elementary age kids
• Simple, one page Book Report Template s to ensure kids are understanding the main charaters, setting, and idea of what they are reading
• Super cute Pizza Book Report Idea with Free printable template or sandwich book report freebie
• Free 3rd Grade Book Report template choices
• 26 more clever Book Report Ideas , Ralph Waldo Poetry Worksheets
• See if kids remember the moral of the story with these FREE Aesop Fables Worksheets pdf
• This Library Scavenger Hunt helps kids learn to navigate a library or this Reading Scavenger Hunt
• Bookshelf Reading Log printable – to help encourage kids to read!
• How to teach elementary age students to write a Ralph Waldo Poetry Worksheets
• Free Parts of a Book Worksheet or these parts of a book for kids coloring pages that use playdough, and book reading goals printables
• Plus, grab these super cute, free printable Star Wars bookmarks for kids !

Nadia is South African mom to two littlies, a former preschool teacher and currently working as a reading therapist at a remedial school. She blogs over at teach-me-mommy.com about easy and playful activities inspiring you to be your child’s first teacher.

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Creative Writing

Monday, december 3, 2012, alphabet short story, 3 comments:.

Amidst the increasing crowds, a little girl stood out from the rest. Blatantly, she wiped a couple of tears from her eyes. Crying out, she scanned the crowd. “Daddy?” she sobbed. Everybody bustled around her, ignoring her pleas. From desperation, she decided on moving forward. Going towards a bench, she climbed onto it to see over the crowd. Hopping up and down, she was still unable to spot her father. Inside her heart there was so much terror, that she started crying again. Just come back and find me, she thought to herself. Knowing that her father was long gone by now, she wailed even louder. Large amounts of the crowd started looking her way. Many began ignoring her once again once they noticed that the loud noises were just some child’s cries. Nobody stepped up to help her. Ominously, the sky grew darker. Pouring rain erupted from heavy clouds and soaking the girl. Quickly, she ran for cover in a nearby store. Running down her body, the water made a puddle at her feet. Staring out the window, she watched longingly for her dad to appear. Turning around, she noticed a familiar figure. Unbeknownst to her, her father had been looking for her as well. Victoriously, he strode up to her and hugged her. Wearily, she sobbed, but this time in joy. Xanthochroid complex of her face was ruined by her tears, but as long as she had her dad she was ok. Yielding, her father finally let go of her and smiled. Zealously, the two waited for the rain to stop.

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Accept things you can’t change and change thing you can’t accept But these moments happen for a reason Cherish these moments as they pass Dream on Eclipse over everyone Face your fears Grasp the adventure Hope for the best Indulge your desires Jump through your everyday obstacles Know right from wrong Love like no other Motivation is key Notice the little things Obey your conscience Prepare for the worst Quitting is not an option Regret less Strive to achieve Take chances Understand that people come and go Value life while you can Wish forever Yield when moments are passing by too fast

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36 Fun Alphabet Activities That Make It Easy for Kids To Practice Their ABCs

Games, crafts, and more!

Alphabet activities make learning their ABCs more fun for kids. There are so many ways to practice your ABCs, you might be able to do one alphabet activity a day for a year without repeating. We’ve gathered 36 super-fun alphabet activities so kids can play and learn every day. Share this article with parents too so kids can practice at home!

1. Read alphabet books

Always our number-one go-to, especially with little ones: Read, read, read! There are hundreds of books to choose from that explore the alphabet. Here’s a list of 16 of our favorite alphabet books to help you get started.

2. Play alphabet hide-and-seek

Set up a sensory bin with sand, rice, or cornmeal and hide plastic alphabet bins inside. Challenge students to find a letter, identify its name and sound, and keep track of the letters they find on a whiteboard or piece of paper.

3. Write letters on dried beans

Large dried white beans are inexpensive to purchase and easy to write on. Grab a Sharpie and write all the upper- and lower-case letters on them. Then put each set in a pile (or baggie) and ask your kids to match them.

4. Line up in alphabetical order

Give each student an 8 x 11 piece of card stock with one letter written on it. Call out the ABCs one at a time and have students line up in alphabetical order. For example, call out the letter A. Students will look at their cards and whoever has A will start the line. Next, call out the letter B. That student joins the line. Continue until you get to the end of the alphabet.

5. Match uppercase and lowercase letters

Help your students learn to match uppercase and lowercase letters with this fun game. Using a Sharpie, label a divided container (like a mini quick pan or muffin tin) with lowercase letters. Give students a collection of uppercase alphabet beads and have them place the corresponding letter in the right compartment.

6. Use alphabet tracing strips

Sometimes learning a new skill takes repetition. Give students time to practice writing the letters in the alphabet with alphabet tracing strips.

7. Letter sort with sticky notes

Write individual letters on sticky notes and then place them all over your house or just on every stair in a staircase. This practice game has a lot of variations—all tied to sorting. Ask kids to sort by:

• Lowercase letters
• Uppercase letters
• Letters in their name
• Straight lines (H)
• Curved lines (c)
• Both curved and straight lines (B)

For even more practice, have them sort their finds into alphabetical order, match lowercase letters to uppercase letters, and then, find a way to sort them that’s new.

8. Use Q-tips

Let students dip Q-tips into paint and fill in letters on these Q-tip Letter Cards . Other tools you can use are pencil erasers or pushpins that students can use to poke holes. ADVERTISEMENT

9. String together letter beads

Letter recognition is the first step on the way to literacy. Help your students learn their letters with this fun bead-stringing activity. All you need is pipe cleaners, large alphabet beads, and small alphabet beads.

10. Write letters in shaving cream

Squirt shaving cream on a table and let your kids write letters in the cream. Smooth it out to erase and start again. Bonus: Their hands and your table will be cleaner than ever!

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11. Serve up some alphabet soup

Teach kids name recognition with this alphabet soup game. Get instructions at Play Teach Repeat .

12. Take it outside

Take your little ones outside with sidewalk chalk and let them practice their letters in the sunshine. Give students letter cards attached to an O-ring to work from.

13. Bend letters with pipe cleaners

Pipe cleaners have always been a trusted source for fine motor practice as well as a fun craft resource. Now use them to have kids create uppercase and lowercase letters.

14. Use an ABC floor mat

Invest in an inexpensive interlocking foam alphabet floor mat for your classroom. Kids can get down on hands and knees and trace each letter with their finger. Or do a little one-on-one with a student and have them hop to the letters you call out. For more ideas, check out this list of activities .

15. Make sensory ABC bags

This one is great because you can change up what you put in the bags and even move to sight words. You’ll need a gallon bag with a ziplock top. Add letters written on pieces of paper, magnetic letters, scrabble tiles, or anything else you can think of with letters. Then fill the bag with rice or oatmeal and seal it. Kids dig through the rice in the bag to find the letters. When they find them, they write down the letter they find until they locate all 26 letters of the alphabet.

16. Find invisible letters with watercolors

This is a classic. Using a white crayon, draw letters on a piece of white paper. Give your kids watercolors, let them paint the paper, and watch the letters appear.

17. Play musical alphabet

Set up letters in a big circle on the floor. You can use magnetic letters or just write them on index cards. Put music on and have your child walk around the circle to the music. When the music goes off, your child tells you the closest letter. Expand on it: Ask your child to name three things (colors, animals, etc.) that start with that letter.

18. Sponge the alphabet

Cut sponges into letters and use them for sponge painting letters or playing in the tub, or at school at a water table.

19. Put together name puzzles

Write the uppercase and lowercase letters in a name and then cut them apart in a simple zigzag. Mix up the letters and ask a child to match them up and put them in the right order.

20. Make letters from nature

Discover the alphabet right outside your door. Choose natural objects that already look like letters, or arrange them to form letters of the alphabet.

21. Eat your ABCs

We know from Alphabet Soup that eating your ABCs is plain old fun. So think of all the ways you can practice the alphabet at mealtime. Pancakes can be made into letters, Jell-O can be cut into letters, noodles can be used to make letters, and there’s even a recipe from Raspberri Cupcakes for making alphabet marshmallows .

22. Go on an alphabet scavenger hunt

The fun part about this for grown-ups is that there is no prep. Tell kids to go find objects that start with each letter of the alphabet. To make this game take longer, designate spots for them to bring each item back—one at a time. Every item must be approved before they can move on to the next. This allows for fewer meltdowns at the end when an item is deemed inaccurate.

23. Make your own ABC book

Personalizing the ABCs helps kids process and retain their learning. One of our favorite alphabet activities starts by creating a book out of 26 pieces of paper and staples or hole punches with a ribbon. Have kids write an uppercase and lowercase letter on each page. Finally, have them draw or cut out pictures of things that start with each letter.

24. Create ABC pop-up books

Use the tutorial video to learn how to make different kinds of pop-up pages. Then, create a page per week for 26 weeks for each letter. At the end, use a glue stick to glue them all together to make an ABC pop-up book!

25. Stamp letters in play dough

Roll out play dough and push letter stamps right into the dough. Alphabet activities using play dough are both tactile and great for practicing pre-reading skills.

26. Make tactile letter cards

There’s lots of research (and experience) to support the value of using all the senses to learn. Making these tactile alphabet cards will be fun and have lasting benefits.

27. Trace letters in spices

This one combines touch, smell, and sight. It gives you an opportunity to talk about what we use spices for as well. Put the bottle in front of a child and have them write the spice name in the spice to make things a bit more challenging.

28. Study a letter of the week

Many pre-K and kindergarten classes do a letter of the week, and for good reason. Teaching instant recognition of letters and practicing writing them is so important for learning to read. Doing alphabet activities for one letter each week reinforces knowledge and recollection.

29. Do the yoga alphabet

Show kids this video and take the time to learn each yoga pose. Connecting the mind and the body is great for learning.

30. Sing songs about the alphabet

Everyone loves to sing The Alphabet Song, but did you know there are lots of other songs to sing that can help you remember the alphabet? Try out this Sesame Street favorite.

31. Draw pictures from letters

Using letters as a starting point, teach kids how to draw. If this is too difficult at first, just write a letter and then draw a picture around the letter.

32. Highlight letters on a page

Print a page of text or grab your favorite magazine and a highlighter. Ask kids to highlight as many of one letter as they can find. This is also great for sight word recognition. Here’s a freebie from The Inspired Apple to get you started.

33. Do-a-Dot letter tracing

These fruit-scented dot markers you can buy on Amazon make tracing letters more fun and help kids with directionality and remembering how to write and recognize letters.

34. Play letter slap

Make two sets of index cards with all the letters on them (52 cards in all). Shuffle the cards together and deal them so each kid holds 26 cards. Together each player takes their top card and turns it upright. The player with the letter closest to A wins the hand and takes the card. If two of the same letter are played, the players slap the card. The one on the bottom of the slip wins the hand. The game ends when one player holds all the cards.

35. Match plastic egg letters

Surely you have some plastic Easter eggs hanging around your attic. Use a Sharpie or letter stickers to put an uppercase letter on one half and a lowercase letter on the other. Then separate the two and throw them all in a basket. Kids pull them out and match them up. Tip: Add difficulty by not coordinating the colors.

36. Create loose-part letters

Loose parts are exactly what they sound like—a collection of loose materials or objects. These can be small pebbles, bottle caps, random LEGO bricks, seeds, keys—anything. Draw big letters on a piece of paper and have kids line up loose parts to make the letter.

Recognizing letters is a fundamental part of learning how to read. Without it, children struggle to learn letter sounds and identify words. Beginning readers who know their alphabet have a much easier time learning to read. Making alphabet practice a part of every day in fun ways helps create a lifelong love for letters and words.

What games and activities do you like to use for practicing the alphabet? Come share in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, check out our favorite activities using alphabet beads and the best alphabet books ..

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22 Best Alphabet Books for Kids of All Ages

There's something for everyone, from A to Z! Continue Reading

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Creative, intriguing short stories to make students think and wonder what if. . .

Stories Without End also gets students creating with engaging projects. Because the stories have no end, students will have to create their own. They’ll also find themselves writing about one particular character, drawing a scene from the story, interviewing people about the theme of the story, or keeping a dream journal.  Each story is also supported with questions and vocabulary activities to introduce the story and followed by discussion questions.

Perfect for teaching reading, creative writing, or discussion. And it’s a flexible resource. Use it as the main book for a month-long elective, as a regular supplement activity, or an occasional treat for the students!

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1 review for Stories Without End

Bhavna Gupta – 17 April 2021

Is this available as a PDF version?

The Editors (verified owner) – 19 April 2021

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