The Curious Creative: Week 31

Early Classmates

This is the thirty-first installment of The Curious Creative, weekly 10-minute writing exercises for busy individuals interested in exploring their creativity. For the complete rationale, click here. 

My Thoughts:

Elementary school memories are iceberg tips bobbing in our brains, flashbulb memories occasionally surfacing. Think of all the juicy details lying below the surface! In this week’s exercise, you will recall the names of childhood classmates to recover a complete memory. You’ll find it amazing how the power of a name can recall images and details long forgotten.

Your Turn!

1. Write down the first 20 names that come to you of classmates from your early school days.

2. Write 2 sentences about each person on your list, consisting of whatever you remember about them.

3. Write 2-3 sentences from several classmates’ points of view about you.

4. Pick someone from your list, and imagine yourself with him/her in a place where you would have been together. Pretend to be that person. Write from his/her point of view in the first-person present tense. Answer these questions. Remember that “she/he” is actually you, and “you” is actually your classmate! 

·      Where are you?

·      What are you doing?

·      What is she/he doing?

·      What time of day does it seem to be?

·      What season is it?

·      About how old are you?

·      How old is he/she?

·      Why are you there?

·      Why is she/he there?

·      Is there anyone else in this image?

·      Is there anyone who just left or who might be coming?

·      What kind of mood does he/she seem to be in?

·      What does she/he look like?

How did you do? Did the initial exercise of listing 20 names loosen your pen? Was it hardest to describe yourself from their point of view? Did writing from another’s perspective make it easier or more difficult to recover details or a narrative from the image?

To encourage each other and grow a community of Curious Creatives, sign in from a google account so you can share your creation in the comment box below. Also, if you subscribe to this blog (submit your email address in the "Follow this Site by Email" box to the right), you will get an email update whenever a new exercise is added. Thanks for playing! 

Inspired by: Barry, Linda. What It Is. Montreal: Drawn & Quarterly, 2008.