Two Pages

by Abigail Thomas

This small book contains prompts for two-page exercises that Abigail Thomas, author of fiction and memoirs, assigned in writing workshops. They were compiled by her students. Use them if you need a side door into work that is too daunting to enter from the front. Use them to write something absurd or profound or to surprise yourself. Don’t worry if what you write turns out to be a little less or a lot more than two pages. That would be missing the point.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

116 pages, Paperback

First published December 13, 2013

Reviews

[Allison Branscombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a literary gift to writers and wanna be writers, this is simply brilliant technique for writing practice. Each page contains three writing prompts. The reader is to write two pages, inspired by one, two or all three of the prompts. Sentence fragments of seemingly mismatched (or mishmashed?) ideas are sure to spark the imagination. An inspired learning and teaching tool, one which would make E.B. White smile, no doubt!

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not say it better than the author. "These exercises are meant to help writers find the side door for work that its too daunting to enter from the front. Sometimes we do our best writing when we're caught off guard."

These writing prompts read like poetry. And what I generate could be poetry. They always prompt writing. I will never truly finish reading this book or perhaps writing it.