Expert Writing Advice: Constrained Writing Will Set You Free

By Josh Boers, Published Author and Write Michigan Judge (and Former Winner)

Every author, except maybe Stephen King, gets intimidated by a blank page. It represents limitless possibilities. You could write about anything—literally anything. So how do you get started?

Whenever I get stuck, I turn to constrained writing.

Constrained writing refers to any literary technique that imposes rules on how you can write. These rules can be anything: from mandating a certain structure, to limiting the topic, to even forbidding certain words. Constrained writing rules are common in poetry—for example, haikus follow a strict pattern of line lengths—but they can also be used in prose. Think of Green Eggs and Ham, which Dr. Seuss wrote using only fifty distinct words in order to win a bet with his editor.

I use constrained writing rules in my short stories because they help give me direction. Wondering what to write can be paralyzing, but figuring out how to make something work can help get the words flowing. You can always revise your story later—but in the first draft, the most important thing is to keep moving forward.

Here are some simple examples that I’ve found useful in my own writing:

1. Select a random topic. This technique can help get you started. Get together with friends and come up with lists of characters, objects and settings, randomly assign yourself one of each and include all three in your story. Or hit shuffle on a playlist, then write a story inspired by the first three songs that come up. (This is how my Write Michigan story got started.) The “Random Article” button on Wikipedia can also be your friend.

2. Embrace genres, common and uncommon. Genres often come with certain expectations. For example, westerns usually take place in the Old West, feature rugged cowboys and gunslinging outlaws, and deal with themes like freedom vs. civilization. See what you can do within these constraints. If you’re feeling daring, consider writing your story in the form of a letter, a recipe or a last will and testament. Or maybe resurrect some long-dead genre, like the biji, fornaldarsaga or Socratic dialogue.

3. Use objects as inspiration. Even when you have a killer premise, you can get stuck thinking about what happens next. Constrained writing can help. Gather a bunch of small objects in a box—when you get stuck, pull something out and put it in your next paragraph. Or flip open a magazine and put the first four-syllable word you see in the next sentence. You don’t have to keep what you write, but you do have to keep writing!

These techniques should help you get started on your Write Michigan story. Soon enough, you’ll be ready to take on even greater challenges—like writing an entire book without using the letter E, or where the length of each word corresponds to a digit of pi. Just remember, words are cheap. It doesn’t matter if you try something that doesn’t work—if you keep trying for long enough and refuse to get intimidated by all your options, you’ll eventually strike gold.