I learned this game from my friend Darcy. Basically, you write out a set of 10 constraints and give yourself 2 min to respond to each – write them out, toss them in a pile, draw one at random, start the timer, write, repeat.
Just like the songwriting game, the goal is to get yourself out of your head. You can use this as a warm-up, or, if you like what you come up with, shape it up into a proper poem.
I’ve loaded this up to generate a set of constraints from the ones I’ve used over the past few months. Every time you refresh the page you should see a different combination. Feel free to use these or create your own!
Prompts:
- use a random phrase from your phrase cache
- describe something you see using smells
- describe something you feel (physically) using the word expectations
- describe something that happened yesterday
- describe something you've eaten
- describe the texture of a color
- open your Bible, drop your finger, and use that word
- use the word "______" in 8syl
- write 2 lines in iambic pentameter
- use a random phrase from your phrase cache
I’d love to hear what you come up with – either ideas for constraints or what you create. Drop me a line or comment here to share!