Thank you for joining us in The Writer’s Playground series! Here we run through writing games to spark imagination and sharpen your craft. Today’s Exercise is Kill Your Darlings (For a Friend) Objective: To practice the crucial editing skill of cutting beautiful but unnecessary sentences, for the good of the story. How to Play: Everyone

Thank you for joining us in The Writer’s Playground series! Here we run through writing games to spark imagination and sharpen your craft. Today’s Exercise is Verb Swap Challenge Objective: To practice using strong, active verbs and elim-inate passive voice. How to Play: Everyone brings one printed page of their own prose to the group.

Thank you for joining us in The Writer’s Playground series! Here we run through writing games to spark imagination and sharpen your craft. Today’s Exercise is The “Why” Interrogation Objective: To help a writer deepen their character motivations and plot logic by gently questioning their choices. How to Play: One writer reads a short scene

Thank you for joining us in The Writer’s Playground series! Here we run through writing games to spark imagination and sharpen your craft. Today’s Exercise is The Emotional Impact Report Objective: To give feedback on the emotional effect of a story, rather than its technical mechanics. How to Play: A writer reads a piece aloud.

Thank you for joining us in The Writer’s Playground series! Here we run through writing games to spark imagination and sharpen your craft. Today’s Exercise is The Monologue Challenge Objective: To reveal deep character truths through their interpretation of a mundane subject. How to Play: The facilitator provides two things to each writer: a character

Thank you for joining us in The Writer’s Playground series! Here we run through writing games to spark imagination and sharpen your craft. Today’s Exercise is Story in Reverse Objective: To understand cause and effect by deconstructing a narrative. How to Play: As a group, decide on a powerful or intriguing final sentence for a