Writing Lesson Plans - General Advice

Everyone has their own idea about how to run a creative writing group.

These are just some of my ideas from ten years of running such a group. You may find them useful. I know I wish I had had a resource like this when I started running courses.

My lessons do not require any writing to be done in advance. It's purely "off the cuff" writing. Several of my group members take the ideas they produce in class home, and refine them. Others simply revel in the process of finding their creativity during the class hours. All enjoy the opportunity to read their work back to other writers, and receive comment on it.

Meetings are approximately 2 hours long. If you have a different timescale you will need to adjust timings.

Bear in mind that you will need to allow different amounts of time for readback depending on how many you have in your class. I limit my classes to 8 members, much above that and both writing and readback time is severely limited.

All the Lesson Plans offered here consist of three parts

1. A "starter"

This is the phrase used as the name of the lesson. No instruction is given on what or how to write, except "let yourself go". It lasts for five minutes and there is no readback.

Don't skip this exercise. It frees both the physical hand and the mind. Ideas will come in that may be useful later. It is unfettered s=expression of the imagination

2. A short exercise

   
   

   This consists of a single prompt, which everyone completes. I usually allow 20 minutes for this exercise, and allow 15-20 minutes for readback and comment

   
   

3. A longer exercise

   
   

   Writers are given a choice of 3 or 4 options, to write on, for about 40 minutes. I always stress at this time that if none of the options appeals, writers should feel free to take the subject and develop it as they please. Occasionally writers have become so interested in the short exercise that they want to continue it. I always encourage this! Allow about 30 minutes for readback.