“Fish Out of Water” Creative Writing Workshop

A workshop for creative writing. A series of activities to get participants thinking creatively and writing short stories. Designed for groups of up to 10, and to last about 2 hours.

1. Supplies
2. Plan
3. Resources

Supplies

• Paper
• Pens
• Print outs of photos to use as prompts.

Plan

1. (5-10 mins) Icebreaker: “Fortunately, Unfortunately”
   • To get people thinking creatively and collaborating, play things game
   • Start with a premise eg. “We went out for a picnic”
   • First person goes “Fortunately….” and describes something good, next person says “Unfortunately” and describes something bad, building on what the previous person said.
   • Keep going, alternating fortunate and unfortunate events, until the story reaches a natural end point.
   • You may play a few rounds.
   • Encourage people to always build on what the previous person said, as opposed to “undoing” it or pivoting away from it.
   • Example premises:
     • 3… 2… 1… Blast Off! The rocket took off into the sky.
     • We approached the mouth of the mysterious cave.
     • “A storm approaches” The captain says, watching the clouds roll in over the horison
2. (5 mins) Freewriting
   • Tell participants “spend 5 minutes literally writing whatever comes to your head”
3. (20 mins) Setting
   • Distribute printed out photos of a variety of locations. Ask participants to choose a photo each to focus on.
   • (5 mins) Tell them to write down words that describe the place with all five senses
     • Sight
       • Colour
       • Brightness/light
     • Smell
     • Sound
     • Touch
     • Taste
   • (10 mins) Ask participants to write a passage describing their location
4. (20 mins) Character
   • Have participants hand their passage to the person to their left in the circle, so everyone now has their neighbours passage.
   • (5 mins) Have them read the passage and then brainstorm, on a fresh piece of paper, what kind of characters might be in that space
     • People
       • What age?
       • What occupation?
       • Hobbies?
       • Relationships?
     • Animals
     • Fantasy
       • Aliens?
       • Sentient plants?
       • Gods?
       • Spirits?
   • (10 mins) Ask participants to choose one of their characters and write a passage describing / introducing them.
5. (45 mins) Scramble
   • Have participants swap their setting 2 places to the left.
   • Have participants swap their character one place to the left.
   • Now everyone should have a setting and a character that
     • They did not write
     • Do not match each other
   • (10 mins) Ask them to imagine the character in that setting.
     • How do they feel?
       • Emotionally?
       • Physically?
     • How did they get there?
     • Why are they there?
       • Do they know why they are there?
       • Did they choose to be here?
       • Have they been here before?
       • Does anyone else know they’re here?
       • Do they know anyone here?
     • What would the character do if they were in this place?
   • (35 mins) Ask them to write a passage about the character in the setting
6. (15 mins) Feedback
   • Give participants the opportunity to share what they have written

Resources

Inspiration Photos