Timed Writing
Timed writing is actually a series of exercises which make up a big part of my creativity parties. I set an egg timer for anywhere between 5 and 10 minutes, give people a writing focus, and tell them to write. They are not to stop writing during this time. The focus is to get as many words down on the paper as you can.
When the time is up, I ask them to count up the words they've written. If they like, they can share what they've written, but I don't insist. I'm more concerned that they write stuff down, perhaps springing a new idea in the process.
I use different triggers for the timed writing exercises:
Postcards: I pick up art postcards, or greeting cards with artwork that I think could inspire stories. I shuffle them and pick one, then pass it around for everyone in the group to have a close look at. Then we write a story that matches the picture.
First Line: I have a plastic bag filled with potential first lines for stories. Most of the lines I found at this site, though I use some of my own. I get everyone to draw one, then begin writing after the first line.
Character: I give each person three slips of paper and ask them to write down a first name, a last name, and an occupation. I put these in three separate hats. Then everyone draws one of each and writes that character. Sometimes, once these characters are created, I will have people put them into a location that we also draw out of a hat.
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