W is for Writing #AtoZChallenge

The Blogging from A-Z Challenge continues today. Every day throughout April (except Sundays) I’ll be posting a range of ideas and tips for keeping your family entertained at home. It will include arts and crafts, games, learning ideas and imaginative activities for all ages. I thought it would be particularly useful while we’re all self-isolating or socially distancing, though it can be used for any time of year.

Letter “W” is for Writing. One positive thing about the lockdown is that I now have more time to play with pen and paper and let my imagination run wild.

Whether you are an experienced writer or fancy taking up a new hobby, expressing your thoughts on paper can be very therapeutic. There are many different types of writing to try, including flash fiction, poetry and journaling, to name a few. Below are some ideas to get you started.

• Clear your mind by writing three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing, known as “morning pages“, first thing every day.
• Keep a journal/diary of your lockdown experience. It’s an excuse to use one of the pretty notebooks you’ve been hoarding, and one day it’s going to be very interesting to look back on. For motivation, see this article by diyMFA.
• Give the kids some paper and pens and encourage them to write and illustrate their own “book”.
• Play a writing game where each member of the family writes one line and the next has to continue until the story is complete. You can do this over social media or text with people outside your household.
• To help you stay in a positive frame of mind, write down three things you’re grateful for at the end of each day.
• Connect with someone you love by writing them a heartfelt letter.
• Try writing some poetry. Haikus are always fun. Check out Book Riot’s Guide to Different Types of Poems for inspiration.
• Join a weekly writing prompt like Words for Wednesday, which is hosted by Elephant’s Child this month, or Six Sentence Sunday hosted by Girlie on the Edge.
• Have a go at writing flash-fiction (stories under 1000 words). Try writing a Six Word Story or join in with the Twitter #vss365 challenge.
• Join an online writing group to get helpful feedback and advice and make new friends. My recommendations are the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, which has an annual anthology competition and Write…Edit…Publish, which has regular flash fiction challenges.
• Consider joining Rayne Hall’s free Quarantine Power Writing course, a four-week seminar running from 24th April to 23rd May that’s aimed at writers who wish to use the lockdown to hone their writing skills.
• If you’re struggling to write during the pandemic, take a look at Ruth Harris’ advice, 4 tips from The Write Practice or my guest post on Wellbeing for Writers During Challenging Times.

Do you enjoy writing? What are your favourite forms or genres? Do you keep a diary?