Writing with constraints: Free your creativity

With Kimberly Lee

For a creative twist, some prose writers impose unique conditions on their work as they craft a piece. Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham on a bet: that he couldn’t write an entire book using only 50 words. Here’s another dare: Write about a trek through the desert without using the words “sand,” “cactus,” “water,” “sun,” and “heat.”

Challenging ourselves in this fun way can have an oddly liberating effect, leading to rich, resonant writing. In this generative workshop, we’ll look at examples by writers who use these techniques, then engage with inventive writing exercises, freeing our own imaginations. We’ll be surprised by the ideas that spring forth—and thrilled with the original results! The workshop will include a taste of SoulCollage®, an expressive arts method through which we’ll use creative constraints to make collages, then write about them using specified prompts.