Weekly writing templates for CAST

This is a small collection of week/whim/worknote templates and a slide deck for running 30 minute writing sessions.

These materials are designed for CAST team members to use during writing sessions, but anyone can reuse them. Some of the templates are based on work by Sam Villis.

How to use these templates

1. Copy and paste a template into a new Medium post. Iterate or remix templates as you like.
2. Add your own title. Simple or snazzy. Both are valid.
3. Write as much as you like. 300 words is a good amount. Write more and you’ll have more to edit. Format your sub-heads, if only to make me happy.
4. Add images, if you wish. Start a new line, click the ‘+’ then the 📷or 🔍.
5. Edit — Double click to format anything. The little and big T’s are excellent for sub-heads.

Remember to remove all template text.

Template 1: The magic 3 template

A flexible template to help you bring fun and creativity to writing about your work. 3 is the magic number, right?

Follow the rule of 3 to write about 3 different things that happened to you this week. Each thing becomes a paragraph heading. For each paragraph you just write about what you did.

You could try:

• The good, the bad and the ugly from this week.
• My peak moment, my boring moment, and my lowest moment this week.
• My golden moment, my ordinary moment, and something I failed at this week.
• My most enjoyable call, my biggest call, and my longest call this week.
• My rollercoaster hectic moment, my candyfloss sweet moment, my big wheel perspective moment.

Or make up your own. That’s the most fun :)

>>Template starts<<

Title e.g. Peak, boring and low moments from this week

Image.

Intro.

Moment 1

Describe the moment and why it was e.g. the peak moment

Moment 2

Describe the moment and why it was e.g. the ordinary moment

Moment 3

Describe the moment and why it was e.g. the lowest moment

>>Template ends<<

Template 2: Fun collections

In case template 1 wasn’t fun enough, this one will make you happy.

Choose a theme that has meaning to you or that you like.

You could choose a food-type theme — e.g. cake, biscuits, ice cream

Or a beings theme — e.g. superheroes, animals, insects, flowers, trees

Or any other theme that has meaning to you.

Then introduce your theme to each day or moment that you write about.

>>Template starts<<

Title: My week in [insert theme name e.g. biscuits]

Image.

Write an introduction here.

Monday (collection item 1, e.g. Jammy Dodger day)

Describe what happened and why it was like a jammy dodger (e.g. gooey inside, crunchy outer)

Tuesday (item 2 e.g. Custard Cream day)

Describe what happened and why it was like a custard cream…

Wednesday (item 3 e.g. Hobnob day)

Describe what happened and why it was like a hobnob…

Keep going, using your theme.

Alternative idea: write about moments, instead of days, e.g.

My jammy dodger moment

My custard cream moment

My hobnob moment

>>Template ends<<

Have fun!

Template 3: ‘[X] things that happened this week’

This is a very simple template for when you want to be as simple as possible.

>>Template starts<<

Title

Image.

Write an introduction here. You could remind readers who you are and what your project is or where you work. Or you could say something else.

Add a subheading naming a thing that happened here

Describe what happened and why it was important here.

Add another subheading naming a thing that happened here

Describe what happened and why it was important here.

Add another subheading naming a thing that happened here

Describe what happened and why it was important here.

>>Template ends<<

Do as many ‘things’ as you like — it’s completely flexible.

Don’t like these templates?

Try some more template ideas.

Writing session slides

And here are slides to run a 30 minute writing session. These are designed to be used if you’ve attended one of the writing workshops I’ve recently run for CAST and Catalyst.

Image attribution: Mandala by Ronald Menti is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.