Picture it, then write

This exercise starts as a drawing one. Take a large sheet of newsprint, two or three wax crayons and remember one rule: Draw with the hand you don't write with (your non-dominant hand). If you have music with a slow beat (Bach or Mozart), play it in the background.

Draw a room you remember as a child. Any room. Put in the furniture. Where was the table? The window? Where did your sister sleep? Put in as many details as you can remember ... yes, with your non-dominant hand.

NOW spend 15 minutes writing about your sketch. Don't think too much. Keep playing the music and using your non-dominant hand if you like. Depending on how you feel, this writing can then be edited and sent to your partner. Alternatively, you can send the non-edited version to your partner (as long as it's legible). Better still: Turn it into a piece of writing a story or poem. Keep the drawing as you'll be able to glean more from it.

This exercise has been taken from The Writer's Voice: A workbook for writers in Africa by Dorian Haarhoff.