10 Writing Exercises from Bonnie Neubauer's ‘Take Ten for Writers’

Generate ideas and stimulate your writing
in only 10 minutes a day!

Get creative with these exercises from Bonnie Neubauer's Take Ten for Writers! Each of these exercises comes with 10 different variables, so every exercise can be done 10 unique times with 10 very different results! These prompts will help you:

• Get into the habit of writing without the burden of weighty expectations — write for the pure fun of it.
• Write fast in 10-minute bursts without over-thinking or over-editing your work — no self-censoring allowed!
• Learn how to weave details into your writing to paint a more realistic, tactile picture with your words — be specific and write with intent.
• Celebrate your writing accomplishments without comparing your work to that of others — every piece you finish is an achievement to be acknowledged!

These exercises are published with permission from Take Ten for Writers © 2009 Bonnie Neubauer and are made available in a printable PDF format for your enjoyment and personal use. All rights reserved.

The Growing List of 10 Writing Exercises

One new exercise is added each month.

1. Super Wordacious Exercise
   By Bonnie Neubauer
   Here’s a chance to blend a prefix, root, and suffix to create a brand new word. Exercise #05 from Take Ten for Writers.
2. Biopic Exercise
   By Bonnie Neubauer
   Write the opening scene for the biopic of your life. Exercise #07 from Take Ten for Writers.
3. Hearing Voices Exercise
   By Bonnie Neubauer
   Tell a story in a voice other than first-person narration. Exercise #32 from Take Ten for Writers.
4. I Wood If I Could Exercise
   By Bonnie Neubauer
   You're lost in the woods; what happens next? Exercise #36 from Take Ten for Writers.
5. LINGO-istics Exercise
   By Bonnie Neubauer
   The touches of slang or lingo added to your dialogue and narrative to make your writing sound more realistic. Exercise #42 from Take Ten for Writers.
6. Listing Exercise
   By Bonnie Neubauer
   A nice way to develop characters or to flesh out existing ones is to write lists they might carry around. Exercise #43 from Take Ten for Writers.
7. Seuss-erific Q & A
   By Bonnie Neubauer
   When penning your response, think of Dr. Seuss or other children's books to get in the groove of answering your what if. Exercise #60 from Take Ten for Writers.