Fun with words by Karen Lange

Fun with Words By Karen Lange

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, because I believe it stretches skills. Word games, activities, writing prompts, and free writing can offer fresh angles and inspiration. Here are 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 & 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. This is what he wrote.

For sale, baby shoes. Never used. 

How's that for practicing word economy? Really makes you think, doesn’t it?

What are your favorite ways to play with words?

Happy writing,

Karen Lange

Karen Lange is the author of Homeschool Co-ops 101. She and her family were active in co-ops during their sixteen-year homeschool journey. Her three children have since graduated, and she is now a freelance writer and online writing instructor for adults and homeschooled teens. Connect on Karen’s  Blog, on Twitter, and Facebook.