Do you ever engage in word play? Or is writing strictly business all the time?
I'm a fan of playing with words - really playing, not just the everyday stuff.
Why?
I believe word-ly fun stretches skills. Word games, activities, writing prompts, freewriting, you name it, they engage our mind and offer fresh angles and inspiration.
A few of my favorites...
Bricolage
Bricolage means "odd jobs" in French, and for this activity is interpreted as using what's on hand. Set the timer for 2 minutes (or more or less) and take a common item, such as a marble, bobby pin, paper clip, or raindrop and consider how it could be used to improvise.
Can the bobby pin open a padlock and help someone escape? Would the marble offer entertainment to an ailing child? Might the paper clip be rigged to repair a faulty engine, one that's needed to rescue lost travelers? One raindrop might be the catalyst that ended a drought.
You never know where Bricolage might take you, whether in problem solving or a "fly on the wall" type narrative.
Board games like Taboo and Balderdash
These games require creativity and interaction with others, sure to help you think fast on your feet. Anyone remember Password? Taboo is similar, making you skirt around certain words while making your partner guess the correct one. Balderdash's options offer tale spinning opportunities, just the thing to trigger the imagination.
Hemingway's Challenge
Hemingway was asked to write a six word story. His story?
For sale, baby shoes. Never used.
How's that for practicing word economy?
For more fun with words, check out Jean Fischer's recent post at Something to Write Home About.
There's a great assortment of links and ideas sure to suit any writer. Thanks Jean, your timing is impeccable! :)
What are your favorite ways to play with words? Have any Labor Day weekend plans?
Have a great weekend,
Karen
Photo credit: Stock Exchange
