What is constrained writing?
It’s a creative exercise that forces you to limit your vocabulary to a set number of words. Using the word limit can help you develop a stronger voice and connect with your audience. And it’s fun! You don’t have to be a writer to take advantage of this practice. Just pick a subject and follow the rules. You’ll be surprised how quickly you become inspired by your own constraints.
A constraint is an element that can be hard to adhere to. One way to limit your writing is by setting a word count. Although this works well for some works, it can make editing more difficult, and it might not be the best choice for all types of writing. Another technique is to use a genre. Shawn Coyne defines a genre as “a set of expectations for readers.” Once you know your genre, you can set your constraint accordingly.
A constrained writing process also reduces the risk of writing a conventional story. In a story, for example, you are limited to certain storyline, and that might not be the most interesting thing to write. A good constrained writing process will force you to come up with a new story. And if you’re stuck in writer’s block, constrained writing can help you overcome it. It will give you an obstacle to overcome in your novel, and it will force you to work harder to finish your piece.
Constrained writing technique
Using a constrained writing technique will help you create more interesting literature. This technique will force you to exercise your creative muscles, forcing you to view the craft from a different angle. As you write a story, you will find it more interesting and unique than the original! You’ll be surprised by how much more you can do with a constrained writing technique! Once you have mastered the art of writing, you’ll be able to write in a different way and become a better writer.
Some of the most famous examples of constrained writing are:
- Doug Nufer’s appropriately-titled 2004 novel Never Again
- This Is A Book, the comedian and writer Demetri Martin compiled a 500-word poem “about a guy in a strip club who becomes infatuated with two strippers, Tina and Stella.
A constrained writing exercise can be an excellent way to boost your creativity. A constrained writing exercise will force you to think of ideas that would otherwise be impossible to imagine. When you’re writing in a constrained way, you’ll be able to use your imagination. You’ll be able to write better and more colorfully. If you’re a writer who wants to improve their skills, constrained writing will help you do that.
Writers often experience difficulties when they’re writing in a form that’s too restrictive. For example, poetry, for instance, has a specific meter and rhyme scheme. While other forms allow you to use a wider range of words and styles, you’re forced to choose from a limited set of options. This means that you’ll be forced to make decisions and decide on a style. But there’s no need to give up, because there are many ways to improve your craft.
As an artist, constrained writing exercises can help you expand your creativity. It can be any form of writing that’s constrained in some way. For example, you may choose to create a poem with only six words, or to limit the number of words to just six. Similarly, the first letter of your poem is the most restrictive word in the poem. This is why it’s so important to use a strict constraint when writing.
A writer can set restrictions to make their work more creative. Among the most common types of constrained writing are lipograms, acrostics, and six-word stories. Other forms are more difficult to enforce, such as the haiku. Most of them are self-limiting. This type of writing allows writers to push against the limits of the literary form and to write something unique. For example, a writer who writes in a language that is only limited by its alphabetic structure can use a more restricted vocabulary.
Fascinating article. I haven’t done any of the examples you share here, but I do have to constrain myself when I write the monthly newsletter main article for our non-profit each month, in the sense that I have to keep it to fit into less than one page. I have noticed that doing so has sharpened my writing skills, so this article definitely resonates. Thanks for these thoughts!