This Week's Practice Exercise

Music to my ears.


Prepared by: Alice Folkart
Posted on: Sunday, October 7, 2012

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Exercise:  In 400 words or less, write a scene in which a musical instrument is important.

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Your scene could be written from the point of view of someone hearing an instrument being played, wanting to be able to play an instrument, listening to someone practice (happily or unhappily), or even, if you dare, from the point of view of the instrument itself.

You could write about an unusual instrument, something from another culture; or about a musical instrument associated with an historical person or event, e.g., the little drummer boy, or bagpipers rousing men for battle, or a bugle playing Taps.

You could write about a concert experience, or about someone whose "life" is his instrument, the virtuoso, the wannabe, or the has-been.   How do you feel about accordions?  Did your mother make you practice piano/violin/kettle drums every day when you were a kid?

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Exercise:  In 400 words or less, write a scene in which a musical instrument is important.

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In your critique tell the author whether or not the work fits the exercise and why.  Let the author know what you think worked or didn't work, and why.

And, in this particular exercise, you might also want to consider the author's handling of the sense of sound, not only the physical sound, but its emotional effect.  Does he write about the sound of an instrument in such a way that the reader will share the experience?  Is the piece wildly creative, or reassuringly factual?  What did you learn from it that will affect your own writing?


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 Writing Workshop.