Summer is a great time to explore your writing in new ways. Without assignments for school, you can really let yourself write what you want, how you want β be creative. Some writers like to record what they did, others how they feel, some invent stories, some write letters, poems, song lyrics. Choose a dedicated journal, notebook, or pad of paper and let yourself find your personal writing style and interests.
Remember that writing is not just for writers, just like cooking isnβt only for restaurant chefs. Everyone has something to say! Think of your writing as a habit, something you do naturally and often. Whether filling up your pages comes easily or you arenβt sure what to write, get curious, try out these mini writing quests, and see what happens.
βThrough the words of others, we learn about the world. Through our own words, we learn about ourselves.β βGrace Welker, author of Oasis Pages Teen Writing Quest
Choose a Quest!
Give yourself as much time as youβd like, at least an hour. More if you are enjoying yourself. Sometimes it takes time to settle in, let everything else go, and tune into your words and ideas. Make it special, like taking yourself on a writing date. How can you make it interesting? Maybe write in a new place or with a new pen or wear something you really like.
TELL IT TO A TREE Find a tree/plant/flower and spend some time with it. Tell it something about yourself you haven't said out loud to anyone this week. Maybe ask a question about something you want to understand. Enjoy some quiet time. Afterwards, write about the experience.
OVERHEARD Put yourself in a public place where you can hear a nearby conversation. Write down some of the words, phrases, and/or sentences. Then create a dialog with imaginary characters that includes some or all of what you wrote down but in a completely new context.
ALTER EGOS We all have a variety of inner selves, some of which we express, some of which we don't. Pick one of yours. Give them a name and a whole page to say who they are and to fully express themselves. Try it with another one.
I'VE GOT QUESTIONS Imagine someone who is super curious about who you are (A journalist? Pen pal? Newfound friend or relative?) Make a list of questions they might ask you, including some of each: What, Where, Why, When, How, Who. Then write your answers.
MAYBE ... Spend a little time noticing people in a public setting. Choose one or two of them and write down a detailed description of them. Then create an imagined story about who they are and why they were in the place you saw them. Maybe they ...
ANCESTRAL WISDOM Choose an ancestor from long ago, whether you know their name or not. Put yourself in their shoes and write a letter from them to you. Include descriptions of their daily life (most of which you might need to imagine/make up) as well as any advice they might have for you.
Ultimately, writing comes from our own inner promptings. Why not design your own summer writing mini-quest! What sparks your curiosity? What new situation could you put yourself in? Create an experience to catalyze your writing from a fresh perspective.Β
Grace Welker, MEd, is a writer, educator, and word lover who creates curiosity-based writing experiences. A diary-journal-notebook keeper since age 1, she loves finding unique ways for people, especially younger people, to write themselves down. Grace, originally from Long Island, ran a volunteer program at her university in Washington, DC, then lived in Morocco and Spain, where she taught English and trained teachers. Grace worked as Editorial Director at a yoga retreat center in Massachusetts for seven years, calls New York's Hudson Valley home, and is fascinated by petroglyphs.
