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| Frida Kahlo born on July 6, 1907 |
I am teaching a Richard Hugo House class on, you guessed it, The Wild and Wonderful World of Words Lists. These lists become my best friend when I am writing; they are useful in dozens of different ways.
I'm including right here an easy lesson on using Word Lists. Enjoy!
I'm including right here an easy lesson on using Word Lists. Enjoy!
The Wild (and Wonderful) World of Word Lists
Why use a word list?
To jump yourself out of your default vocabulary (globe, blue, world, cream).
To create an extended metaphor --- all words about cars or dogs or water.
To make your writing more surreal.
To focus closely on the language of one subject (anatomy, photography, cats).
When writing on a specific subject such as film (jump cut, cant angle, montage, establishing shot).
Ways to Construct a Word List
Take the last word of every line of a poem and write towards that word.
Take the last word of every line of a poem and write towards that word.
Keep a basket of words on your desk, in your living room, even the bathroom!
Notecards (keep notecards with a dozen unconnected words and one directive).
Look over the spines on your bookshelf, what catches your eye?
Look at the titles of books in a bookshop; Pegasus is posting photos of their shelves.
Use the words from a favorite poem and put them through the Cut-up Machine!
Other Sources:
Your subconscious
Your friends/classmates /students subconscious
Online Resources:
John Muir’s Lost Words Dictionary https://www.johnmuirtrust.org/assets/000/002/830/LOST_WORDS_Explorers-Guide_pages_original.pdf
Random generated lists: https://www.randomlists.com/random-verbs
Thesaurus: https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/beautiful
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