When I taught college writing, I would run one particular class near the beginning of every sememster.

I usually called this class something like "Start with Nonsense" or "Play With Your Words."

You see, college students usually arrive to their writing 101 class with a lot of baggage. That highschool "keyhole" essay does a lot of damage to a student's desire to write... who'd've thought?

Many of us are still reeling from the red-pen way writing was taught to us...

And this was before genAI -

which makes what I'm about to share with you all the more important.

So stick with me.

The class was essentially a series of word games. The main point: to warm you up for writing. To make it fun again. So that you can get the full benefit, and avoid any injury. 🙂

Many of the exercises are better in a group.

But here's one you can try right now:

START WITH NONSENSE

Step 1) Take a piece of paper and draw a vertical line down the middle.

Step 2) On the left side, write a list of 10 nouns.

Step 3) On the right side, write down one profession. Like "chef"

Step 4) Under that profession, write a list of verbs that that person does.

You should now have something that looks like this:

Step 5) Match the nouns with the verbs and create a sentence. Let it be weird, and also try to make it make sense where you can.

Some you come up with will be completely nonsensical, like:

"The shoe mixed up her toes."

(Though even that could work in the right scene!).

But sometimes, you'll absolutely delight yourself with what you discover:

"The dinosaur marinates in the earth."

"The grass slices through the purple sky."

POETRY! 👀

It's amazing what an exercise like this can do for your own joy in writing.

Which is worth investing in.

Which will, with enough practice, make anything you publish (even sales emails...) stand out admist the AI sea we find ourselves in. 🌊

xo,

Nicole

P.S. If I remember correctly, I originally learned this exercise from my own excellent poetry professor, Jim Peterson.

P.P.S. Please do send me your nonsensical sentences. 🙏 I miss teaching this class very much. There was always lots of laughter.

7901 4th ST N STE 300, St. Petersburg, FL 33702

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