Writing Exercise: A Castaway's Journal

For many people, the idea of getting away - or escaping - is a powerful emotion. That's why the concept of being stranded on a deserted island is so powerful in literature and film. This month you're going to be that castaway. Here's what you'll do...

Gulliver, Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson...they all told stories of people who found themselves stranded in a far-away location. For many people the fantasy involves a tropical paradise, with sandy beaches, palm trees, and perfect weather.

But what would that life really be like? This month's exercise will have you living alone on an island, and you'll write a two-page journal entry (or longer if you get caught up!). Perhaps your island is different; maybe it's cold, or maybe it's inhabited by fierce animals. With the Big Brain Club we always ask that you use your imagination and think of settings - and situations - that nobody else has thought of. Your journal will describe what life is really like.

Will it be dangerous and haunting? Will it be rather funny? Will it be suspenseful, perhaps with a mystery involved? Your journal is a blank slate, and the finished product will be going into a bottle and into the sea, ready for the rest of us to read when it washes ashore.

Have fun!

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