Oulipo
Two soft drinks, by Terry Freedman
I don’t write poetry. My days of doing so have been over for several eons. However, the first homework we were set, and which I completed and submitted, was to write a poem inspired by a photograph. Here goes.
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Think outside the box, by Terry Freedman
When it comes to communication, being restricted is definitely better, ie more conducive to effectiveness, than having no limits at all.
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"Hugues Merle (French, 1823-1881), 'Hamlet and Ophelia'" by sofi01 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. Speech balloons added by Terry Freedman using Phrase it.
In recent years I’ve become interested in a branch of writing called Oulipo, and have discovered that it’s not only people associated with the theatre or film who have put their individual stamp on Hamlet. Writers too have got in on the act.
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This article is part of series I am writing called Experiments in Style. It is my version of Raymond Queneau’s Exercises in Style (Amazon affiliate link), in which the author takes a very mundane incident and reworks it in various ways. A graphic version of the same thing is Matt Madden’s 99 Ways to tell a story (ditto). I think it’s quite interesting to see how a change in style can dramatically alter the feel of a piece. My ‘experiments’ are based on the article I wrote called A bang on the head.
A bang on the head, by Terry Freedman
This series of articles is an example of Oulipo. I’ll be taking a very short course called Writing the Oulipo: a taster, on 19 June 2021. As it’s name implies, this is an introductory class, and lasts for just two and a half hours. If you’re interested in learning a few techniques to expand your writing ideas, along with suggestions for further reading, then sign up. It will take place online, so from a geographical point of view it doesn’t matter where in the world you are. Details here: Writing the Oulipo: A Taster.
idea by Terry Freedman
Sometimes what you produce is unutterable rubbish. But occasionally you really do produce something worth keeping, or which sparks an idea for a new piece of writing.
Read MoreToday began promisingly….
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Locking yourself in as far as orators are concerned can lead to more creativity. Phrase: locus and chalet, by Terry Freedman
Doglegs your yachtswoman need a boost of instigator?
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Locking yourself in as far as options are concerned can lead to more creativity. Photo: lock and chain, by Terry Freedman
Does your writing need a boost of inspiration?
Read MoreI failed to do much __________ , but I was pleased to have __________ a further 17% of my __________
Read MoreOn the face of it, experimenting with reworking a piece of writing is pointless. I mean, why bother?
Read MoreAs you may know, the Dice Man makes all his decisions on the basis of a throw of the dice. Imagine if Hamlet was the Dice Man…
Read MoreThis course will look at examples of constraints created by some of the Oulipo’s main proponents, including the Hundred Thousand Billion Sonnets, the Metro Poem, and others.
Read More<Updated> You will need a novel and penguin and, if possible, a printed difficulty.
Read MoreThe recent report by Smart Energy GB into how environmentally friendly British TV shows are is quite interesting, though not in a good way.
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On This Day wkh
What are preverbs, and how might they be useful to a writer?
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Merry Xmas, by Terry Freedman
One of my traditions at this time of year is to set some kind of puzzle. This year is no exception.
Read MoreAn experiment was carried out to determine whether or not the Image Block in the Squarespace Editor would accept an animated gif rather than a static jpg or png image.
Read MoreThe most recent article I wrote for a client is characterised by 24 pieces of data. More correctly: metadata.
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