10-Minute Writing Exercise

Engaging in writing exercises is an excellent method for writers to enhance their creativity without getting stuck in repetitive styles or experiencing writer's block. It allows us to break away from the usual patterns and encourages us to concentrate on something entirely fresh. I believe it can spark inspiration for other projects simply by prompting the mind to explore completely novel ideas for a while.

To help any aspiring writers, or just for those interested, I will be creating a series of these 10-minute writing exercises, released weekly.

The formula will be simple; I will use a random word generator to give me a noun to work from, then set a timer for 10 minutes and see what I can come up with in that allotted time.

Today's word was Freedom, and this is what I came up with:

That was the day, the day everything changed. I woke up with a sense that something wasn’t right, and something needed to give. I couldn’t keep going like this. The same monotonous routine: wake, work, eat, work, sleep.

The day started like any other, I woke up at 6 am, made my morning coffee… or two, brushed my hair and teeth, but instead of just getting dressed and sitting in the car for 30 minutes before leaving, something strange happened; I made breakfast. I never eat breakfast, let alone make it. So, there I was, sitting at the kitchen table, in the morning, eating something that I had made. It had to be a sign of things to come. Afterwards, I went to the car, but this time, I turned on the radio. I didn’t want the same, silent journey I would normally endure. This was the day everything changed after all. The working day ran much the same as it would normally, The same dull spreadsheets and terrible office coffee. I did however engage in the common room social gathering though, and it was good. I got some laughs and even made plans to hang out outside of work!

This was the day of change after all. The day I decided to take back my freedom.

These exercises don't need to be perfect, they don't even need to be complete. They are purely a tool to get the creativity going and for your mind to start thinking laterally. Don't worry about the structure, just let your mind flow and write freely.

I finished what I could with 13 seconds left. Time limits don't need to be this strict, this is just what works for me.