QuickWrite of the Day #18: The conversations around us

"Writing can be used as a vehicle to express ourselves as we negotiate the journey through our lives” (Gallagher, 2011: p. 24)

Today’s QuickWrite of the Day:

In a TED-Ed video, educator Nadia Kalman says we can gain inspiration for our writing by eavesdropping on the conversations around us. This must have been what English teacher and writer Jessica Salfia had in mind when she decided to write a poem that contained the first lines of the emails she received while living under quarantine. Check it out below:

Using this as inspiration, what snippets of conversation, headlines or ‘one-liners’ have you heard or seen in the last few weeks? These can be funny or serious, repetitive lines, or perhaps they capture the mood of the time. Have a go at making a list first, then see what kind of writing grows from this. It might be a poem like Jessica Salfa’s, or maybe it'll become a list of ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’. Get creative and see where it takes you!

Want more QuickWrite topics? Check out the slide deck here, or see it in presentation mode on our Resources page.

Happy writing!