Welcome back to week 7 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!
This week I’m going to need you to GET OUTSIDE!
Word Bank Wednesday
Word Bank Prompt
TOOLS:
2 Minute Timer, Pen/pencil, notebook/paper
Step 1:
Go for a walk, pay close attention to the street signs you see.
Step 2:
Set a timer for 2 minutes
Step 3:
In your notebook write down words you remember from the street signs you saw on your walk.
(note: if you commute back and forth to work, you can use your commute to pay attention to the signs you see, but don’t forget to treat yourself to a nice walk at some other point, too.)
An Example
I actually brought my notebook with me. I was walking to meet someone and decided to stop and write down as many words as I could think of while waiting.
The word bank I created is as follows:
stop ply park
place green tow your
no detective rock
mouth reserved zone pioneer
away smile gas DOT
parking keep electric end
bowling berry circle transportation
avenue north drive dead
mulberry USA way
please camera driveway
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: THE KIDS WERE RIGHT
That is all. Now, GO WRITE!
Questions, Comments And/Or Reactions
Were there any other places outdoors where you happened to notice words besides the street signs? How do you find inspiration on excursions like this?
I will see you again next week.
Happy Writing!
*note about bookshop.org links: I am an affiliate for bookshop.org, which means I will receive a small percentage compensation of any purchase you make on their site using any of the affiliate links I share. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
If you are interested in seeing a collection of many of the books and items I have discussed in Stop Writing Alone over the years, please check out the Stop Writing Alone Bookshop Powered by Bookshop.org.