Collaborative writing
ideas and approaches for writing together in groups of all ages
1. Words and connotations
based on ideas in Jane Spiro's research paper, 'Teaching poetry: writing poetry - teaching as a writer'
(NATE English in Education, Autumn 2007)
Independently, divide a list of 20 - 30 words (eg fountain, rose, dog...) into those with positive and those with negative associations; compare list with neighbour; explain choices; now choose one word and either write a collaborative poem listing associations, or write an independent poem in which you explain your associations.
Variations include: developing or inventing a myth connected with the word; writing visual or verbal memories involving that word; reflecting on where our feelings about words come from,or the effect of the words' sound on our understanding, and discussing how culture-specific such reactions might be.
2. Bring and share
(based on ideas in Booton writing group 2004)
Each person contributes a character, an object, an action and a place each to one of four different piles/envelopes. These are shuffled and then people are given random combinations as a provocation for their own writing.
3. Prepositional phrases et al
(based on idea used in Bucks TAW group 2012)
Plenty of prepositional phrases such as 'in the middle of', 'at the end of', 'by the time that', in between', 'behind' are written on strips of paper and put in one pile/envelope. Three other piles will now be created by the group: abstract nouns (love), proper nouns (Africa), and participials ending -ing (singing). Each member of the group is asked to write on strips of papers and add them to the appropriate pile - as many as they wish in 2 minutes. These are then shuffled and each member of the group is given/chooses a selection. The idea is not necessarily to use ALL the words/phrases, but to find a pleasing combination and use it as a starting point for writing. It can be helpful to have one as an example. The four pieces of paper could be combined as follows: In the beginning of/ Africa/, love/singing. OR Love/in the beginning of/singing 'Africa'. Each will find his or her own resonances. One group explored the possibility of uneven combinations - what does in mean to say 'In the beginning of in between'? Playing with language is the idea behind this exercise.
4. Read and retell
(based on idea used by Gabrielle Cliff-Hodges and Simon Wrigley, Bedfordshire 2001 - with a further example from NWP 2019)
Also known as 'Odours of Chrysanthemums' exercise (so-called because the opening paragraphs of this text are good for the purpose).
Read aloud a text of some 200-400 words - listeners must retrieve a number of nouns (as many as there are people in the group) from the text: names, objects, feelings or abstract nouns. These are listed and numbered. Each member of the group is then allocated ONE item from the list. Each should then write 3 sentences in the first person - the voice of their noun: 1. I am the ... 2. More detail about 'yourself' . 3. A final sentence which contains the next word on the list. After 3 minutes, read out in sequence with each reader providing in their last sentence the 'cue'for the next first person narrative. This recreates the text from the inside out and presents an alternative reading. It is an effective exercise to use in exploring alternative readings and illuminates the original text - especially focusing on the omissions and changes in the group's re-creation, and the significance of perspectives and contents.
Click here for Gabrielle's article takes this process much deeper, attending to etymology and history in redrafting.
Click 'Chained texts' below for a 2019 example of how this might be approached in a writing group.
ideas and approaches for writing together in groups of all ages
1. Words and connotations
based on ideas in Jane Spiro's research paper, 'Teaching poetry: writing poetry - teaching as a writer'
(NATE English in Education, Autumn 2007)
Independently, divide a list of 20 - 30 words (eg fountain, rose, dog...) into those with positive and those with negative associations; compare list with neighbour; explain choices; now choose one word and either write a collaborative poem listing associations, or write an independent poem in which you explain your associations.
Variations include: developing or inventing a myth connected with the word; writing visual or verbal memories involving that word; reflecting on where our feelings about words come from,or the effect of the words' sound on our understanding, and discussing how culture-specific such reactions might be.
2. Bring and share
(based on ideas in Booton writing group 2004)
Each person contributes a character, an object, an action and a place each to one of four different piles/envelopes. These are shuffled and then people are given random combinations as a provocation for their own writing.
3. Prepositional phrases et al
(based on idea used in Bucks TAW group 2012)
Plenty of prepositional phrases such as 'in the middle of', 'at the end of', 'by the time that', in between', 'behind' are written on strips of paper and put in one pile/envelope. Three other piles will now be created by the group: abstract nouns (love), proper nouns (Africa), and participials ending -ing (singing). Each member of the group is asked to write on strips of papers and add them to the appropriate pile - as many as they wish in 2 minutes. These are then shuffled and each member of the group is given/chooses a selection. The idea is not necessarily to use ALL the words/phrases, but to find a pleasing combination and use it as a starting point for writing. It can be helpful to have one as an example. The four pieces of paper could be combined as follows: In the beginning of/ Africa/, love/singing. OR Love/in the beginning of/singing 'Africa'. Each will find his or her own resonances. One group explored the possibility of uneven combinations - what does in mean to say 'In the beginning of in between'? Playing with language is the idea behind this exercise.
4. Read and retell
(based on idea used by Gabrielle Cliff-Hodges and Simon Wrigley, Bedfordshire 2001 - with a further example from NWP 2019)
Also known as 'Odours of Chrysanthemums' exercise (so-called because the opening paragraphs of this text are good for the purpose).
Read aloud a text of some 200-400 words - listeners must retrieve a number of nouns (as many as there are people in the group) from the text: names, objects, feelings or abstract nouns. These are listed and numbered. Each member of the group is then allocated ONE item from the list. Each should then write 3 sentences in the first person - the voice of their noun: 1. I am the ... 2. More detail about 'yourself' . 3. A final sentence which contains the next word on the list. After 3 minutes, read out in sequence with each reader providing in their last sentence the 'cue'for the next first person narrative. This recreates the text from the inside out and presents an alternative reading. It is an effective exercise to use in exploring alternative readings and illuminates the original text - especially focusing on the omissions and changes in the group's re-creation, and the significance of perspectives and contents.
Click here for Gabrielle's article takes this process much deeper, attending to etymology and history in redrafting.
Click 'Chained texts' below for a 2019 example of how this might be approached in a writing group.
5. Ostinato writing
(based on ideas developed by Jeni Smith, writing groups 1996)
Each person begins a ten syllable line at the top of the paper, then passes on to the person on their left. Now each person reads line and composes a second beneath continuing the sense and incorporating ONE word from the previous line. This continues for 6 or 8 turns. Last turn is to read though and give the poem a title. Then read out!
6. Limerick circle
(based on ideas developed in writing groups 1996)
Each person takes a piece of paper and starts the first line of a limerick. Now pass the paper round the circle, a line at a time, following a limerick's aabba rhyme and rhythm scheme.
7. Shoes
(based on ideas developed by Emma Simpson, Islington Secondary NWP writing group 2012)
Each person draws, on one side of a piece of paper, a labelled diagram of a shoe. These are then folded and put in a box. Each person then picks out one (not their own) and uses this to scaffold a character who might have worn the shoe: this character outline is written on the other side of the piece of paper. Papers are refolded and put back in the box. Then each person is given a choice of 10 starter lines which they must use to write a story involving the character and shoe described a piece of paper they pick from the box.
8. Invented words and definitions
Each person creates a list of invented words (eg bransetted, lunky, poulical, jarseena): 2 minutes. Now they choose 3 and define each, with an example of it being used in a sentence: 4 minutes. Now exchange 3 words with a partner. Each person, on receipt of three invented words from another must give a dictionary definition for the word and compose an example of it being used in a sentence: 4 minutes.
(e.g. branset - verb, from Old French bransoire - a small hutch for rabbits/doves; 16th century any small container. Pepys "I visited Mr Trevithick in the afternoon, only to find that he had cruelly bransetted his dog in a cupboard in the yard.")
Now share and compare definitions and usages.
9. Exercises embedded in action or role-play
(sometimes it is good to adopt a perspective different to that of your own persona)
A: Is this the place to sign up?
B: There is a queue here, you know.
A: I don't think the train will be moving for a while.
B: Have you heard the news?
5. Interviews: work in pairs or threes: choose from a range of situations and roles and let conversations begin; after a set time, ask partners to swap roles and replay the scene. eg Parent and teacher; doctor and patient; applicant and interviewer; police and suspect; journalist and politician/tourist/talking dog...; headteacher and student ...
10. Plotting together (a Bucks TAW idea, 2013)
This four-part exercise can be done in pairs or with individual writers. It follows Garth Nix's ideas about devising chapter headings in order to support the writing in crafting a longer narrative. It allows writers to share prompts, sequences and the development of new perspectives.
a) Ideas and glimpses: Writers are given 5 cards or slips of paper. On each of these they write an event, a line of dialogue, a question, a description, a dilemma - or a mixture of any of these, with the idea that these possibly disparate ideas are part of longer narrative. If doing this with plot events alone, it can be useful to start with an event/dilemma and work backwards to causes as well as forwards to consequences. (3 or 4 minutes)
b) Sequences and titles: Shuffle the cards/slips of paper and pass on to the next person/partnership who places them in their own narrative order, using at least 3 of the cards, so that a 'story' begins to emerge. They can add up to two cards and iron out any 'continuity errors' at this stage. They should devise 2 alternative titles for the story - and chapter 'headings' if they wish. (An extra stage might be to draw up a list of major and minor characters.)
c) Chapters and details: These slips are passed on to another writer who chooses one 'chapter' heading/prompt to write about for about 5 to 10 minutes.
d) Sharing and reflecting: When the beginnings of 'chapters' have been written, the writer should share their writing or their ideas with the originator and discuss what kind of story each might have imagined.
11. Terms and definitions (an idea adapted from Karen Lockney June 2014, and from Arvon 2012):
Each person is given a noun - possibly brainstormed from the same context or found in another text. Their task is to write a definition of it or some words about it. Then the nouns and their definitions are exchanged to discover what possibilities there might be. (a version of this was used by Don Paterson at the Arvon Foundation week at Moniack Mhor in 2012)
updated by Simon Wrigley, May 2019
(based on ideas developed by Jeni Smith, writing groups 1996)
Each person begins a ten syllable line at the top of the paper, then passes on to the person on their left. Now each person reads line and composes a second beneath continuing the sense and incorporating ONE word from the previous line. This continues for 6 or 8 turns. Last turn is to read though and give the poem a title. Then read out!
6. Limerick circle
(based on ideas developed in writing groups 1996)
Each person takes a piece of paper and starts the first line of a limerick. Now pass the paper round the circle, a line at a time, following a limerick's aabba rhyme and rhythm scheme.
7. Shoes
(based on ideas developed by Emma Simpson, Islington Secondary NWP writing group 2012)
Each person draws, on one side of a piece of paper, a labelled diagram of a shoe. These are then folded and put in a box. Each person then picks out one (not their own) and uses this to scaffold a character who might have worn the shoe: this character outline is written on the other side of the piece of paper. Papers are refolded and put back in the box. Then each person is given a choice of 10 starter lines which they must use to write a story involving the character and shoe described a piece of paper they pick from the box.
8. Invented words and definitions
Each person creates a list of invented words (eg bransetted, lunky, poulical, jarseena): 2 minutes. Now they choose 3 and define each, with an example of it being used in a sentence: 4 minutes. Now exchange 3 words with a partner. Each person, on receipt of three invented words from another must give a dictionary definition for the word and compose an example of it being used in a sentence: 4 minutes.
(e.g. branset - verb, from Old French bransoire - a small hutch for rabbits/doves; 16th century any small container. Pepys "I visited Mr Trevithick in the afternoon, only to find that he had cruelly bransetted his dog in a cupboard in the yard.")
Now share and compare definitions and usages.
9. Exercises embedded in action or role-play
(sometimes it is good to adopt a perspective different to that of your own persona)
- Walk and talk - in pairs or threes. Listen carefully to each other. Enjoy responding. Then, after an agreed time, return and jot down some of what you can remember other people said, what you said, and what you thought.
- Still images and frozen moments: in 3s - two actors and one narrator/animator - having discussed, watched or read, create 2 still images - maybe 'before' and 'after' - or 'how they wanted to remember it' and 'what really happened' (with description, speech bubbles and thought bubbles). Collaborative recreation can focus as much on positioning and movement - and the work prose writing has to do to represent unseen events.
- Meet and greet: give out first person mini-speeches of 5-15 lines; let people circulate and speak their 'starter lines' and extemporise conversation and character. After 2 minutes re-gather to see what has been heard as well as what has been said. What agreements and disagreements arise? What conversations proved effective?
- Starter lines: (works well with groups of over 10 people) each person chooses a partner (there may be one group of 3), one partner is A and the other is B. Establish the context and relationship e.g. two teachers visiting a museum; onlookers at Humpty Dumpty's accident; holiday-makers on the beach; neighbours ... Feed the lines one by one to the whole group, asking A to begin the conversation with this line and B to respond; the partners should continue the conversation for about 20-30 seconds. After each turn, while folks retain their A or B label, they choose another partner with the opposite letter. If As started the conversation last time, this time it will be the turn for B to begin. This means that everyone gets a chance to work with another. Read the line for B to start with - and off they go with their new conversations.
A: Is this the place to sign up?
B: There is a queue here, you know.
A: I don't think the train will be moving for a while.
B: Have you heard the news?
5. Interviews: work in pairs or threes: choose from a range of situations and roles and let conversations begin; after a set time, ask partners to swap roles and replay the scene. eg Parent and teacher; doctor and patient; applicant and interviewer; police and suspect; journalist and politician/tourist/talking dog...; headteacher and student ...
10. Plotting together (a Bucks TAW idea, 2013)
This four-part exercise can be done in pairs or with individual writers. It follows Garth Nix's ideas about devising chapter headings in order to support the writing in crafting a longer narrative. It allows writers to share prompts, sequences and the development of new perspectives.
a) Ideas and glimpses: Writers are given 5 cards or slips of paper. On each of these they write an event, a line of dialogue, a question, a description, a dilemma - or a mixture of any of these, with the idea that these possibly disparate ideas are part of longer narrative. If doing this with plot events alone, it can be useful to start with an event/dilemma and work backwards to causes as well as forwards to consequences. (3 or 4 minutes)
b) Sequences and titles: Shuffle the cards/slips of paper and pass on to the next person/partnership who places them in their own narrative order, using at least 3 of the cards, so that a 'story' begins to emerge. They can add up to two cards and iron out any 'continuity errors' at this stage. They should devise 2 alternative titles for the story - and chapter 'headings' if they wish. (An extra stage might be to draw up a list of major and minor characters.)
c) Chapters and details: These slips are passed on to another writer who chooses one 'chapter' heading/prompt to write about for about 5 to 10 minutes.
d) Sharing and reflecting: When the beginnings of 'chapters' have been written, the writer should share their writing or their ideas with the originator and discuss what kind of story each might have imagined.
11. Terms and definitions (an idea adapted from Karen Lockney June 2014, and from Arvon 2012):
Each person is given a noun - possibly brainstormed from the same context or found in another text. Their task is to write a definition of it or some words about it. Then the nouns and their definitions are exchanged to discover what possibilities there might be. (a version of this was used by Don Paterson at the Arvon Foundation week at Moniack Mhor in 2012)
updated by Simon Wrigley, May 2019