Creative Writing Exercises - Leicestershire County Council

Shop in the Box
You will need:
What to do:
Exercises given by Deborah Tyler-Bennett
Section C
Short Writing
& Discussion
• Imagine that the box is a shop window display, and that all the things included in it are the
contents of a peculiar shop. You could write some notes on what sort of display it is (are
the things for sale, or are they displayed to cause some sort of public reaction and tempt
you into the shop?).
• Write a poem of 12 to 16 lines on the display and its effect on onlookers.
You should include some of the following:
- the glassy nature of the box (imagine it as window glass)
- the colours and contours of the objects
- why you think these are displayed in the way they are
- onlookers’ reactions
- the names of items
- the shop’s owner
• The writing can either be done singly, or in groups.
Themed Writing
You will need:
What to do:
• Consider the theme of the box in front of you, and then write down as many ideas as you
can – focus on how the objects relate to each other, and include descriptions. These notes
should take 5 - 10 minutes.
• Using the notes write a 20 line poem, where each line describes a different aspect
of the box.
This is a kind of ‘kaleidoscope’ poem that expresses a series of impressions to do
with the display box’s theme. Each time a line changes, the subject flashes to
something else.
• You could look at the theme in terms of colour, stories told, images suggested,
purpose, and effect.
• You could perhaps try to make this poem appear box-shaped on the page. One way to do
this is to use lines that are visually equal in length.
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