They are there to create novelty. There’s lots of research that would our brain seeks out is routine– as in knowing how to do predictable things, and novelty– as in, “I’ve never done this before. It seems like fun.”
To keep Extreme Writing going – and indeed something students request spontaneously, you need to have variety, variety, variety. It’s predictable that you will write, but not predictable what will start you thinking about what to write.
That’s why I have created a collection of different Inspirations – 8 of them so far – which are entirely different methods of getting students to write. Each one is fresh for students. Each Inspiration should be used a minimum of 3 times in the year, but not so often that it becomes predictable.
- Connect to the Date
- Famous Art
- Grumpy Cat
- One of a Kind
- Photo
- Picture Books
- Proverbs and Sayings
- Two Kinds of People
Why 3 times? At a first encounter, we learn how to do something. After that we practice the skill. First, we learn to ride a bicycle. Then we get better by practicing.
