This Week's IWW Practice Exercise

Gifts (Version 2)













Image Reproduced with Permission 2009 © SLN

Prepared by: Ruth Douillette
Revised and reposted on: Sunday, May 3, 2009


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Exercise: In 400 words or less, write a scene that shows a character receiving a life-changing gift. Make clear the nature of the change.

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Write a scene that shows how receiving a particular gift has changed a character's life. The gift might be a long-awaited store-bought present, a homemade surprise, breakfast in bed, a compliment, some advice, or any other form of gift you you might think of.

Show how the character perceives the gift and why it has an impact on his or her life, for better or worse. You might show what the character gained or lost from getting this gift. Maybe relationships changed, or the importance of something came to light. Does the character grow in any way or learn something because of receiving this gift?

"The Gift of the Magi," a short story by O. Henry, gives us a wonderful example of what two characters learned after giving and receiving gifts.

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Exercise: In 400 words or less, write a scene that shows a character receiving a life-changing gift. Make clear the nature of the change.

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In critiquing, comment on how the change in the character is related to the gift. Is the change believable? Does the author develop the character from the beginning so that we can see and understand the change(s) wrought by the gift. Is the gift giver changed in anyway by the recipient's response?

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These exercises were written by IWW members and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its members. You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that you found them at the Internet Writers Workshop.