Welcome back to week 3 of Word Bank Wednesday!
What is Word Bank Wednesday?
(in case you missed this the first week.)
As writers we know that finding the right words to use in any moment is the thing we lose sleep over. The word is often dangling at the tip of our tongue, or imagination, a step or two out of reach exactly at the time we need it. We have various exercises and practices we do in order to get better at reaching for those words: we write more, we rewrite, we read, we listen, we explore reference materials and research, the list goes on. Word Bank Wednesday is simply one more thing to add to that list. We are going to play with word capture on a weekly basis and start making our own Word Banks to use in all of our writing projects.
Each week I am going to ask you to spend TWO MINUTES creating your own word bank. Each week I am going to present you with a prompt, you are going to set a timer, and, using a paper and a pen (preferably, but no one is watching, so don’t let this rule be the thing that stops you!) you are going to jot down as many words as you can in response to that prompt. If you so desire, your work can be done there. The act of scrambling to gather the words for your word bank is exercise enough. You can keep these collections for projects and prompts of your own choosing, OR…
In addition to the word bank prompt, I will add a potential prompt for you to work on with your newly collected words. It will be completely up to you if you want to spend more time with your words, or if you want to save them for later (I have an A4 notebook with lined and blank pages that is my current word bank notebook).
Let’s get started!
Word Bank Wednesday
Word Bank Prompt
TOOLS:
2 Minute Timer, Pen/pencil, notebook/paper, a phone or computer to do an Internet scroll on
Step 1:
Set a timer for 2 minutes
Step 2:
In your notebook write down words you see in 2 minutes of Internet scrolling.
An Example
I bet you never expected me to encourage you to scroll during writing time! Well, I do believe inspiration is everywhere, including a doom scroll! I set my timer and jumped onto Instagram.
The word bank I created is as follows:
open mic
poem fiber write hosted
boundaries fascinating
inbox page risk brick
stretches penguin memory genre adult
avoid loved better
awarding pushing gummies animated
score bridge tunnel virtual
ferry broccoli
You may notice that this week I wrote on a blank sheet of paper and have words written in all different directions. This is another Word Bank creation “trick” you may want to try some weeks. Forcing yourself to turn your page around and write “against” the traditional lines can oftentimes open up new pathways to creativity!
Now…
What Can We Do With These Words?
You’ve got some words, if you are crushed for time, you can close your book, move on and come back next week. But, if you are looking for more, here are some ideas for how you can continue to play.
Note: The following prompts may be used individually or together, depending on your needs, desires, and writing availability today.
Potential Prompt(s) 1: Figurative Language Fitness
Whether writing poetry or prose, well-placed, well-crafted figurative language can take your common words to the next level and leave your readers sighing in admiration of the new lenses you are gifting them to see our world through.
The prompt here is simple.
Use the words in your word bank to create
a metaphor
a simile
a line/sentence of hyperbole
personify the things in your word bank
a line/sentence using allusion
You may choose to apply one of these prompts to all of your words (for example, perhaps you are interested in only metaphor muscle building today), or trying all five. Maybe you can pick one bullet point each week. It’s up to you. No pressure! Which reminds me: go ahead and be silly, ridiculous, outrageous and push all of the boundaries with your figurative language. Allowing yourself to really stretch beyond what you normally allow in your day to day writing is part of what this practice is for.
Potential Prompt 2: Use the words in a _____
Step 1: Fill in the blank.
Poets, you will use the words in a poem.
Prose writers, you will use the words in a story.
Step 2: The topic for your ______ is A COMPLAINT.
That is all. Now, GO WRITE!
Questions, Comments And/Or Reactions
Have you tried the blank page chaos-collection yet (this is what I call making a word bank without lines)? How did you feel about diving into your scroll for inspiration?
Let us know what you are thinking and if this practice has inspired anything new for you today.
I will see you again next week.
Happy Writing!
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