Giving and Playing Gifts (Solo Exercise)

This solo exercise is about spotting "big playable gifts" — those juicy bits of info, emotion, point of view, or character traits that open up a scene. Hand yourself one, as if a partner just offered it. Then brainstorm three concrete ways to have something, say something, and do something that shows it off. It's a quick way to test whether a gift is actually playable, and to train yourself to explore offers from every angle.

• Hand yourself a "big playable gift" for a character (for example, "You're obsessed with tiny hats").
• Brainstorm three ways to show it: something you can have (a collection of tiny hats), something you can say (constantly bring up tiny hats), and something you can do (keep adjusting an imaginary tiny hat).

• Nothing required, beyond a little brainstorming.

• A related pair exercise involves physically pantomiming giving/receiving imaginary gifts and naming them.