Your Morning, Step by Step

Your Own Day · Writing · Page 1 of 6

Name Date
DIRECTIONS: Two mornings, the same forty minutes. Read both.
1Read both mornings
→
2Page 2: write yours
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3Page 4: test it
Most people write this:
I get up. I get dressed. I have breakfast. I go to school.
The same morning, looked at properly. 20 steps:
  1. The alarm goes and I turn it off without opening my eyes.
  2. I lie there for a bit.
  3. I push the covers off with my feet.
  4. I sit on the edge of the bed.
  5. I find my slippers with my feet, and only one of them is there.
  6. I look under the bed for the other one.
  7. I go to the bathroom.
  8. I wash my face with cold water because it wakes me up.
  9. I clean my teeth for two minutes.
  10. I go back to my room.
  11. I take off my pajamas and put them under my pillow.
  12. I put on my socks first because the floor is cold.
  13. I put on my school sweater.
  14. I move the cat off my school bag.
  15. I check the bag has my reading book in it.
  16. I go downstairs, missing the third step because it creaks.
  17. I get a bowl out of the cupboard on the left.
  18. I pour the cereal in before the milk.
  19. I eat it standing up because I am late.
  20. I put my shoes on by the door.
The small bits make it yours: the missing sock, the creaky step, the cat.

Now Yours

Your Own Day · Writing · Page 2 of 6

DIRECTIONS: Write your morning as a numbered list, alarm to front door. At least 15 steps.
Stuck? Break a big step open: "get dressed" is about six.
Only things you do. Put in three too boring to mention.

Now Yours

Your Own Day · Writing · Page 3 of 6

DIRECTIONS: Keep going, to the front door.

The Test

Your Own Day · Writing · Page 4 of 6

DIRECTIONS: Give your list to somebody. They do exactly what it says, nothing more.
If you left out…what the person following it does
get a bowl outthey pour the cereal onto the table
take your pajamas offthey put the school sweater on over the pajamas
turn the tap onthey hold their hands under a dry tap
open the front doorthey walk into it
say which shoesthey put on the rain boots
  1. Where did they get stuck first? Write the step number.
  2. What was missing? Write the step that should have been there.
  3. Did they do anything that was technically what you wrote but not what you meant? Write what happened.
  4. Now go back to page 2 and fix it. Write down how many steps you had to add.

Turning It Into Writing

Your Own Day · Writing · Page 5 of 6

DIRECTIONS: Join your list up. Use at least four different words from below.
WordWhen to use it
firstthe one that has to be at the front
thenthe ordinary one. Do not use it eleven times
after thatwhen "then" is getting tired
whiletwo things at once — the toast is in, so you find your shoes
beforelets you put a step out of order in the sentence: I find my bag before I eat
as soon aswhen one thing sets off the next
in the endthe last one
"Then" eleven times is correct, and boring. Keep the boring steps, though: nobody else could write them.

Your Morning, Written Out

Your Own Day · Writing · Page 6 of 6

DIRECTIONS: Write it in sentences. Four different joining words; keep every boring step.