I teach Creative Writing (basics of writing a novel) and am considering doing something new next semester. It's an 8-week class, and I'm thinking of introducing a few GTD techniques along with hPDA.

Using index cards is nothing new for writers, especially screenwriters, but before my last class of this semester I decided to print out some cards from the hPDA set and distribute them to my classes. (The very first class of the semester, I did warn them to all have a "capture device" and write down every idea, every line of dialogue, every title, every 'anything' that popped into their heads about their potential novels.)

I printed out the character, story idea and plot point cards. (There are other cards I'd like, but don't have the know-how to create them.) I also printed out "Shopping" and "Agenda" and "Next Action" and "Project" cards. As I talked about them, and the process, with my morning class, they LOVED it. Ate it up. My evening class seemed less enamored. A couple of them seemed interested but others barely even glanced at the cards and listened patiently until I was ready to talk about something they were more interested in. (wry grin)

What I'd like to do here is brainstorm the way I'll approach this with my classes starting in January. One way is to give them appropriate cards at each class, like, character cards when we talk about characterization.

Anyway, I've just started working with this idea and am pleased Merlin has given us this space to brainstorm.

If you were going to take a class like this, any suggestions of what kinds of GTD info or hPDA cards you might find helpful the very first day?