ABSTRACT
Chapter 8 is based upon a simple premise: Collaborative improvisation is a productive compositional strategy for the creative scholar. The term “improvisation” points to spontaneous composition, created orally and bodily, in the moment of performance. The chapter first considers the links between creative research and improvisation and then offers instruction on using improvisational techniques and for making the included writing prompts function productively. Through improvisational exercises enacted by one or more facilitators, creative researchers see ideas and language presented for consideration. The prompts are organized to allow creative scholars to focus their attention on whatever writing challenge they may be facing, from deciding which topics call for their writing attention, to crafting texts into form, to revising the completed manuscript.
