Describe the writer
Find a photo of one of the writers. Describe the person you see. If you haven’t yet read about this writer, imagine what he or she might be thinking about. What do you think the person might like to do, is interested in?
You can also write a caption – a label, or description of the photo.
Make a list of adjectives that describe the writer. (for example, he looks tired, she seems kind, he has brown eyes, she has long hair)
What’s in a name?
Look through the table of contents. Choose a title – don’t read the piece but think of all the things that the title suggests to you. (If you’ve read everything, find a title that grabs your attention). Talk to someone about the title, about what it could mean.
Write your own short story, narrative or poem using the title as your inspiration.
Do some freewriting - explore what the writing could be. Freewriting is just what it sounds like – you write for 5 or 10 minutes (or longer, as you get the feel for it). You don’t lift your pen from the paper. If you feel stuck, write, “I feel stuck.” The idea is to just let your ideas flow – without worrying about spelling, or grammar – it’s a way to get yourself started. You might throw out much of what you write – or you might go back and re-work it, or just use pieces of it.
It’s a good technique for getting started, especially if you’re not yet sure what you want to say.
Write to an author
Although most of the authors of Prison Voices are no longer in prison, you might want to write a letter to one of them (even if you can’t send it). Tell the writer what you learned from his or her writing, or ask questions about the writing. Do you share any experiences? What do you want to say to the author? What do you want to know about him or her that you didn’t learn from reading the writing or the interview? other ideas?
Brief biographies
Next to the photo of each writer, is a brief biography – facts about the author, including age, crime, sentence and place of incarceration. After you’ve read about the person in the photo, make a new biography about him or her. List other facts about the person.
Think about your own brief biography. What things about your life you would include? Start with a list of important things and see if any of them inspire you to write more. Think about other places where you see brief bios (baseball cards, and magazines, for example) – how would you write your own brief biography for an entertainment magazine? A sports card? A personal ad? As part of a cover letter for a job application?