Many people advocate free writing as a way of cutting through writer’s block. Well, it’s never worked for me, and it doesn’t seem logical anyway. If you can’t think of anything to write, how would allowing your mind to just generate stuff do any good?
Read MoreOulipo
Review of The Girl at the Tram Stop
On the surface, this would seem to be nothing more or less than an example of performance art presented as literature. However, there is much more to it than that because Johnson has introduced elements of randomisation…
Read More
Picture by Dall-e
Review: Clouds like dust, and other poems, by N. Slake
in Oulipo
Poetry lovers will recall the impact Slake' s first book made. "Tied up in Notts" was, at the time, not merely avant-garde but positively risque. The reason, of course, was Slake's cavalier approach to poetic conventions. For example, his 15 Line Sonnet caused a massive rift in the arts community.
Read MoreBook reviews the wrong way round
in Oulipo
This is the usual way of doing things. Someone writes a book, or a poem or whatever. Then (with a bit of luck) someone reviews it.
A fellow writer, Nathan, and I decided to do it the other way around. He wrote a review of something I hadn’t written yet. Then I wrote it!
Read MoreOulipo taster course: discount for today only
in News & views, Oulipo
Oulipo techniques are great for dispelling writer’s block, and generating new works.
Read More
Three collections of Oulipo writing: which is best for you?
in Bookshelf, Oulipo, Oulipo book
Three reviews in one article, plus a couple of news announcements.
Read More
Image created by Dall-E for Terry Freedman
Trains: an Oulipian exercise and challenge
in Oulipo
This post is a puzzle for you, and an experiment for me.
Read More
Rainham Marshes, by Terry Freedman
Hiding in plain sight
Can you spot the hidden theme word?
Read MoreQuick looks: Oulipo and the Mathematics of Literature
in Bookshelf, Quick looks, Oulipo, Reviews
Berkman has written an interesting and very academic examination of the links between maths and literature.
Read MoreFeedback From A Course Called Writing The Oulipo
in Oulipo
The Oulipo is a writing movement that uses constraints to produce ‘potential literature’.
Read More
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Writing the Oulipo: A taster update
This course is running tomorrow (18 June 2022), and I’ve added a few more exercises for people to try out.
Read More
On this day: Oulipo books
in Bookshelf, Oulipo, On this day, Reviews
On 17 June 2021 I wrote a round-up of my reviews of books about the Oulipo. Here’s a link to that article.
Read More
Squared notebook, by Terry Freedman
Writing the Oulipo: A Taster of "constrained writing"
If, like me, you enjoy writing for the sake of it, and maybe even enjoy a secret life as a short story or novel writer, this might interest you.
Read More
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Course: Writing the Oulipo
in Oulipo
A new course for creative writing.
Read MoreClassification of my articles: an asyndetic list
in Oulipo
What can we learn from an apparently simple list, apart from the contents of the list?
Read More
A bang on the head, yeah?
This article is part of series I am writing called Experiments in Style. It is my version of Raymond Queneau’s Exercises in Style.
Read More
Christmas at Selfridges, by Terry Freedman
Christmas message from Writers' Know-how
in Oulipo
Unfortunately, my end-of-year message got a bit mangled, but I’m posting it here anyway. See if you can figure out what it is supposed to say.
Read More
A bang on the head -- N + 12
The results are different depending on which dictionary you use; there is nothing to stop you cheating…
Read More
A bang on the head -- in code
Although the result is nonsensical, I think it has a musical quality of its own.
Read More
A bang on the head -- DIY version
In this version, I’ve decided to pass the story over to you.
Read More