DIALOG AND DESIRE
This is the exercise Carol Lashof gave us at the November meeting (reprinted here with permission from Carol). This exercise may be done alone or with a group. First, doing it alone:

On a 3x5 card, write down three facts about a character. For example: 30 years old, postal worker, stamp collector. Now write down on the same card three desires of the character. For example: wants to get married, wants a promotion, wants her brother who is living with her to move out.
Repeat this for five more characters, so you have a total of six cards. Next mix up the cards, close your eyes and select two cards. Now write a scene between these two characters.

If doing this exercise in a group, do the same thing except just do two characters, and then pass one card to the person to your right and one to the person to your left.

In the scene, have at least one desire of each character drive the action of the character.