This is your last writing exercise using a search. After this, all searches will be for things in your novel, whether characters or lines of dialogue, punctuations or words. Because this is your last writing exercise, you also need to make it count!
In this orchestrated search, you only need to search through your memories. Cook up a memory mix this time: it's a memory that you never had, but it will have to involve people, places, and things that you remember. For instance, you could remember your best friend, your visit to Venice, and your cup of coffee. You could then write a story involving all three of them, even if your best friend has never been to Venice and/or despises coffee.
So, let's start the search! Scour through your memory and remember:
1. The first person who ever gave you a right and proper scolding
2. The last person to say hi or hello to you
3. Your lunch yesterday
4. The last place that you visited that made you never want to go home
Incorporate all these into a 1000-words-or-less story, with your own plot and the characters from your memory. They don't all have to be in one scene, and you don't have to make things happen over lunch. Find a way to creatively put everything together. When you are done, post your story in the Comments section, or provide a link to it.
Good luck in your last orchestrated search - and happy writing!
Showing posts with label orchestrated searches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label orchestrated searches. Show all posts
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
A People-Watching Activity
It's time for you to step out into the world.
All you need to do is write about the life of the very first person that you meet on the street. This can be your mailman, a cab driver, a bus driver, someone on the bus, a jogger - take your pick. All you need to do is single this person out and map out this person's day.
You can use only 1000 words. Avoid turning the story into a grocery checklist of activities, or an enumeration of other people that your lead character meets. Try writing a story that makes this person's life less boring, more exciting; if you have to turn your lead character into a super villain or a fantasy hero/heroine, go ahead. Your story doesn't have to be plausible; it just shouldn't be boring.
When you are done, post your story in the Comments section, or provide a link to it. Happy People Watching and Happy Writing!
All you need to do is write about the life of the very first person that you meet on the street. This can be your mailman, a cab driver, a bus driver, someone on the bus, a jogger - take your pick. All you need to do is single this person out and map out this person's day.
You can use only 1000 words. Avoid turning the story into a grocery checklist of activities, or an enumeration of other people that your lead character meets. Try writing a story that makes this person's life less boring, more exciting; if you have to turn your lead character into a super villain or a fantasy hero/heroine, go ahead. Your story doesn't have to be plausible; it just shouldn't be boring.
When you are done, post your story in the Comments section, or provide a link to it. Happy People Watching and Happy Writing!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Random Blog Writings
What's in a blog title? Plenty, apparently, if you know what to do with them. Here's an exercise to get you thinking.
1. Go to your favorite search engine.
2. In the Search window, type in "blog" and then your first name.
3. Click on the first result. If you keep a blog and the first result is your blog, go to the next one. If the result is in a language other than the one that you know best, then go to the next one.
4. Look at the name of the blog. If the blog has no name, use the title of the latest entry. If the blog has no entries, use the URL name of the blog.
5. Use that title as the first few words of your short story. You have 500 words at your disposal. The plot and characters are all yours.
This exercise should help you think on your toes. Not all blogs have sensible titles, but it would be a great and deep mark of your creativity if you can turn a nonsensical title into the first few, intelligible, and engaging lines of your short story.
When you are done, post your 500 word story in the Comments section, or provide a link to your story. Good luck and happy writing!
1. Go to your favorite search engine.
2. In the Search window, type in "blog" and then your first name.
3. Click on the first result. If you keep a blog and the first result is your blog, go to the next one. If the result is in a language other than the one that you know best, then go to the next one.
4. Look at the name of the blog. If the blog has no name, use the title of the latest entry. If the blog has no entries, use the URL name of the blog.
5. Use that title as the first few words of your short story. You have 500 words at your disposal. The plot and characters are all yours.
This exercise should help you think on your toes. Not all blogs have sensible titles, but it would be a great and deep mark of your creativity if you can turn a nonsensical title into the first few, intelligible, and engaging lines of your short story.
When you are done, post your 500 word story in the Comments section, or provide a link to your story. Good luck and happy writing!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
An Ebay Search Can Buy You a Story!
It's time to get on Ebay and buy a story! All you need to do is follow the steps below.
1. Visit ebay.com - you don't need to have a log in.
2. Look for the search window.
3. Do a general search: type in the first letter of your first name and search for it.
4. Pick the first object/product that you find. Take note of it.
5. Do another general search: this time, type in the first letter of your last name.
6. Pick the very last object/product on the first page of your search results.
Now, construct a story around these two objects/products. You can pick your characters and plot, but make these two objects/products pivotal to your story. You have only 5,000 words at your disposal. When you are finished, post your story in the comments section or provide a link to it.
Good luck and happy writing!
1. Visit ebay.com - you don't need to have a log in.
2. Look for the search window.
3. Do a general search: type in the first letter of your first name and search for it.
4. Pick the first object/product that you find. Take note of it.
5. Do another general search: this time, type in the first letter of your last name.
6. Pick the very last object/product on the first page of your search results.
Now, construct a story around these two objects/products. You can pick your characters and plot, but make these two objects/products pivotal to your story. You have only 5,000 words at your disposal. When you are finished, post your story in the comments section or provide a link to it.
Good luck and happy writing!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Clean Out a Cupboard!
Cleaning up is hard to do, especially when you have so many other things to take care of. But if you do clean up, then it's one less thing to do, right? Today's focus is your kitchen. You may or may not have cleaned it up, but you need to focus your attention on your cupboard - in particular, a cupboard where canned or preserved goods are kept.
Ready? Your job is to get to that cupboard. Now:
1) Pick up a can or bottle at random. Make sure that the can or bottle has nutrition information and information about ingredients.
2) Under the list of nutrients, pick the 3rd nutrient. It could be fat, sodium, potassium, or anything under the sun. Write down what this 3rd nutrient is.
3) Under the list of ingredients, pick the 3rd ingredient from the last. If you have only 1 or 2 ingredients, pick the last one. If you have only three ingredients, pick the first one. Write down this ingredient.
4) Write a story of 1000 words or less about how the can or bottle of food got the nutrient. Was it from the farm that it was harvested from? Was it from the cannery or bottling facility?
5) Write a story of 1000 words or less about how the can or bottle of food would taste WITHOUT the ingredient in #3.
When you are done, post your stories in the Comments section, or simply provide a link to your work. Good luck and happy writing!
Ready? Your job is to get to that cupboard. Now:
1) Pick up a can or bottle at random. Make sure that the can or bottle has nutrition information and information about ingredients.
2) Under the list of nutrients, pick the 3rd nutrient. It could be fat, sodium, potassium, or anything under the sun. Write down what this 3rd nutrient is.
3) Under the list of ingredients, pick the 3rd ingredient from the last. If you have only 1 or 2 ingredients, pick the last one. If you have only three ingredients, pick the first one. Write down this ingredient.
4) Write a story of 1000 words or less about how the can or bottle of food got the nutrient. Was it from the farm that it was harvested from? Was it from the cannery or bottling facility?
5) Write a story of 1000 words or less about how the can or bottle of food would taste WITHOUT the ingredient in #3.
When you are done, post your stories in the Comments section, or simply provide a link to your work. Good luck and happy writing!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
It’s Time to Google Your Plot!
Ever find yourself scrambling in the dark for a perfect plot? Try this orchestrated search through Google. All you need to do is be creative with whatever is thrown into your lap. Follow the steps below.
1.Go to Google Search
2.Type your first name
3.Search for it. Look at the first entry.
4.Write about how that entry came about. Who wrote it? When? Why? You have only 500 words at your disposal to write the history of the first entry. You can click through to the page to see what it contains so that you can write your story better.
5.Go back to the list of search results. Look at the second entry. Write how it is related to the first entry. Do the people who wrote or designed the web page know each other? Was the writer of the second entry inspired by the writer of the first entry? Think of a creative connection between the two entries. You have only 500 words to write the connection out.
When you are done, post the stories (along with links to the pages) in the Comments section; or provide a link to your work. Good luck and happy writing!
1.Go to Google Search
2.Type your first name
3.Search for it. Look at the first entry.
4.Write about how that entry came about. Who wrote it? When? Why? You have only 500 words at your disposal to write the history of the first entry. You can click through to the page to see what it contains so that you can write your story better.
5.Go back to the list of search results. Look at the second entry. Write how it is related to the first entry. Do the people who wrote or designed the web page know each other? Was the writer of the second entry inspired by the writer of the first entry? Think of a creative connection between the two entries. You have only 500 words to write the connection out.
When you are done, post the stories (along with links to the pages) in the Comments section; or provide a link to your work. Good luck and happy writing!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Strangeness of Numbers
It's time for you to actually get everything from the world, and you are going to search all the elements of your story out. You will get the setting, place, characters, and theme. All you need to do is to follow the steps below:
Look at the time right now. This will be your year setting. For instance, if it is 8:45 in the morning, you will set your work in the year 845. However, if it is 8:45 in the evening, then according to military time, it is 2045 – your work will therefore be set in the year 2045.
What day is it today? Monday? Wednesday? Friday? Whatever the day is, let it be the name of your main character.
Look up the meaning of your first name. Whatever it is, let it be your character's main characteristic.
Look up the meaning of the first name of the person whom you love the most right now. Let that be your character's end goal, whatever the meaning of the name is.
What are you wearing right now? Let that be your character's costume.
Ready? You need to write a story of about 8000 words or less. You also have to use all the elements that you found in the search. When you are done, provide a link to your story, or post it in the Comments section.
Good luck, happy searching, and happy writing!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Of Movies and Stars
What will your next story be about? What will happen at the beginning, in the middle, and when the end comes? You need a theme, and you need to look for it using the following search instructions:
1.Go to http://www.imdb.com
2.In the search window, type out your first name, followed by the name of the street where you are now. If you don't know your street, then type where you are (e.g., cafe, cabin, beach, etc)
3.Lucky you if you actually get an exact match. Click on it.
4.If you don't get an exact match, IMDB will offer you alternatives. Click on the first link that you find.
5.You may get a match for a person, movie, character, plots, or even biographies. Do not be alarmed. The entire exercise will still apply to you.
Use your match as the theme for your story. You might have a movie star whose story you can write. What happened during one day in that star's life? Or you might have a movie whose plot you can write your own story about. There are many things that you can get out of this search, and all you need to do is to get a theme and use it on about 2,000 words or less.
When you are done, post the story in the Comments section, or provide a link to your story. Good luck, and happy writing!
1.Go to http://www.imdb.com
2.In the search window, type out your first name, followed by the name of the street where you are now. If you don't know your street, then type where you are (e.g., cafe, cabin, beach, etc)
3.Lucky you if you actually get an exact match. Click on it.
4.If you don't get an exact match, IMDB will offer you alternatives. Click on the first link that you find.
5.You may get a match for a person, movie, character, plots, or even biographies. Do not be alarmed. The entire exercise will still apply to you.
Use your match as the theme for your story. You might have a movie star whose story you can write. What happened during one day in that star's life? Or you might have a movie whose plot you can write your own story about. There are many things that you can get out of this search, and all you need to do is to get a theme and use it on about 2,000 words or less.
When you are done, post the story in the Comments section, or provide a link to your story. Good luck, and happy writing!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Who Are the People in Your (Printed) Neighborhood?
It's time to make a story, and you need to search for some characters! Just follow the steps below:
1.Open your phone directory
2.Search for your name. If you aren't in the directory, get a name that is closest to yours.
3.Take note of the name listed before yours. Call this person Character A.
4.Take note of the name listed after yours. Call this person Character B.
5.Designate yourself as Character C.
You are now going to write a short story that involves Characters A, B, and C; specifically, you need to make Character A search frantically for Character B, and you need to let Character B chase Character C. This has to be an exciting, pulse-pounding, less-than-5000 words short story.
When you are finished, post the story in the Comments section. Or if it's too long, provide a link to your suspenseful masterpiece.
Good luck and happy writing!
1.Open your phone directory
2.Search for your name. If you aren't in the directory, get a name that is closest to yours.
3.Take note of the name listed before yours. Call this person Character A.
4.Take note of the name listed after yours. Call this person Character B.
5.Designate yourself as Character C.
You are now going to write a short story that involves Characters A, B, and C; specifically, you need to make Character A search frantically for Character B, and you need to let Character B chase Character C. This has to be an exciting, pulse-pounding, less-than-5000 words short story.
When you are finished, post the story in the Comments section. Or if it's too long, provide a link to your suspenseful masterpiece.
Good luck and happy writing!
Friday, February 27, 2009
This Day in History...
It's time for you to make history! You are going on an orchestrated search that is short, but challenging. First, go to http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do. Then, follow these steps:
1) On the right side of the web page is a frame where you can put in a date so that you can see what happened in history on that day. Locate this frame. Next to it may be a label that tells you where to enter your date.
2) Enter your birth date (not including the year, of course).
3) Choose a topic from the drop down menu under the birth date so that you can refine your search. You may want to look at wars, literary milestones, or simply general interest.
4) Click GO.
When the page loads, you will get a historical event that happened on your birthday. Now, you will have to write about that event, but you will need to connect that event to you.
Ah, here's a challenge! You need to connect the event to your life: was it like something that happened to you, something that you can't imagine happening to you, something that you could care about - or, what would it be like if you were there during the time that the event happened? The objective of this activity is to get you to make connections and put you in the middle of history. After all, you're a writer: you will be an active chronicler of history, so start writing!
Your finished product can be as long or as short as you want. It can be fiction or non-fiction. You only need to make the connection and be creative. Post your work in the comments section, or provide a link to your work.
Good luck and happy writing!
1) On the right side of the web page is a frame where you can put in a date so that you can see what happened in history on that day. Locate this frame. Next to it may be a label that tells you where to enter your date.
2) Enter your birth date (not including the year, of course).
3) Choose a topic from the drop down menu under the birth date so that you can refine your search. You may want to look at wars, literary milestones, or simply general interest.
4) Click GO.
When the page loads, you will get a historical event that happened on your birthday. Now, you will have to write about that event, but you will need to connect that event to you.
Ah, here's a challenge! You need to connect the event to your life: was it like something that happened to you, something that you can't imagine happening to you, something that you could care about - or, what would it be like if you were there during the time that the event happened? The objective of this activity is to get you to make connections and put you in the middle of history. After all, you're a writer: you will be an active chronicler of history, so start writing!
Your finished product can be as long or as short as you want. It can be fiction or non-fiction. You only need to make the connection and be creative. Post your work in the comments section, or provide a link to your work.
Good luck and happy writing!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Yes, We Still Have Phone Directories...
We have two major phone directories. The WHITE PAGES list people according to their homes and residences, and the YELLOW PAGES list businesses. Now, you will need to have your local white and yellow pages directories with you, because you are about to do an orchestrated search on them.
First, pick up the white pages directory. Open it to ANY PAGE OF YOUR CHOICE.
How old are you? Go down the list of names and look for the entry number that corresponds to your age. That person will be your lead character.
Now, pick up the yellow pages directory. Open it to ANY PAGE OF YOUR CHOICE.
Which business has the biggest ad on that page? Use this as your setting.
Go back to the white pages directory. Flip to ANY PAGE OF YOUR CHOICE. How old are you again? Start from the end of the page and work your way up. Look for the entry number that corresponds to your age. Now, you have the name of your villain.
Ready? Write your story! Keep it as short as you possibly can, but be sure to explore your characters' lives and backgrounds, and describe your setting as accurately as possible. If your setting is within reasonable travel bounds, you can even go there and take down notes.
Good luck! Post your stories or links to them in the comments section.
First, pick up the white pages directory. Open it to ANY PAGE OF YOUR CHOICE.
How old are you? Go down the list of names and look for the entry number that corresponds to your age. That person will be your lead character.
Now, pick up the yellow pages directory. Open it to ANY PAGE OF YOUR CHOICE.
Which business has the biggest ad on that page? Use this as your setting.
Go back to the white pages directory. Flip to ANY PAGE OF YOUR CHOICE. How old are you again? Start from the end of the page and work your way up. Look for the entry number that corresponds to your age. Now, you have the name of your villain.
Ready? Write your story! Keep it as short as you possibly can, but be sure to explore your characters' lives and backgrounds, and describe your setting as accurately as possible. If your setting is within reasonable travel bounds, you can even go there and take down notes.
Good luck! Post your stories or links to them in the comments section.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
You're the Scholar Now!
It's time for another search, and you're about to get a scholarly plot! Let's get acquainted with Google Scholar. Through Google Scholar, you can get access to journal articles that can help you read more on research done in different fields, whether it be molecular biology or political science. In this case, you need to use Google Scholar to get your story started. Follow the steps below:
1.Visit Google Scholar at http://scholar.google.com
2.Type in your first name, followed by your favorite subject in school
3.Click on the very first link that appears. Read the title of the document.
4.Turn that title into the title of your short story – but DO NOT READ the entire document. If it so happens that you have no access to the journal article (not all journals will be free), then just try to get the title of the article. If it's a book chapter, use the title of that book chapter, whatever the title is (if all you see is the chapter number, you may need to use the first sentence of the chapter instead).
You have only a thousand words or less for your story. You need to keep the title of the journal article. When you are done, post your masterpiece in the Comments section, or post a link to your work.
Good luck, and happy writing!
1.Visit Google Scholar at http://scholar.google.com
2.Type in your first name, followed by your favorite subject in school
3.Click on the very first link that appears. Read the title of the document.
4.Turn that title into the title of your short story – but DO NOT READ the entire document. If it so happens that you have no access to the journal article (not all journals will be free), then just try to get the title of the article. If it's a book chapter, use the title of that book chapter, whatever the title is (if all you see is the chapter number, you may need to use the first sentence of the chapter instead).
You have only a thousand words or less for your story. You need to keep the title of the journal article. When you are done, post your masterpiece in the Comments section, or post a link to your work.
Good luck, and happy writing!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Orchestrated Search #3: What's In Your Name?
This week's orchestrated search is simple. All you need to do is type your name (it can be just your first name, just your family name, or the whole shebang) into your favorite search engine, and then click SEARCH.
You might find someone on the other side of the world who shares your first name, or someone who has long left this world actually holds the key to your knowing your ancestry better, or your name is an anagram for someone else's name! In any case, look at your search results.
Now, pucker up some courage. You are going to write a letter.
If someone shares your name, you will need to write that person, whether living or dead, about yourself. Write a 500-word email that introduces yourself in whatever tone you please. You don't even have to send it; you just need to write that email.
Are you ready for the real exercise? You need to put yourself in that other person's shoes and write a REPLY to your own letter.
This is an exercise in sympathy and empathy - it's also an exercise in imagination. What would your namesake's culture be like, and how would it affect his or her reply? Is he or she a gentle or strong person? Does he or she even share your gender? You will need to take account of all of these aspects of writing and personality (and more) in your 1000-word reply.
Now get to writing!
Ah, and dear writer, don't forget to post your letters in the comments section, or at least links to them, so that you can share your craft with the world.
And yes, this does sound like you're drawing out another personality from deep within you - but isn't that exciting?
You might find someone on the other side of the world who shares your first name, or someone who has long left this world actually holds the key to your knowing your ancestry better, or your name is an anagram for someone else's name! In any case, look at your search results.
Now, pucker up some courage. You are going to write a letter.
If someone shares your name, you will need to write that person, whether living or dead, about yourself. Write a 500-word email that introduces yourself in whatever tone you please. You don't even have to send it; you just need to write that email.
Are you ready for the real exercise? You need to put yourself in that other person's shoes and write a REPLY to your own letter.
This is an exercise in sympathy and empathy - it's also an exercise in imagination. What would your namesake's culture be like, and how would it affect his or her reply? Is he or she a gentle or strong person? Does he or she even share your gender? You will need to take account of all of these aspects of writing and personality (and more) in your 1000-word reply.
Now get to writing!
Ah, and dear writer, don't forget to post your letters in the comments section, or at least links to them, so that you can share your craft with the world.
And yes, this does sound like you're drawing out another personality from deep within you - but isn't that exciting?
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Orchestrated Search #2: Simply Music
Songs don't just tell stories - they can BE stories. All you need is a playlist. If you have songs in your My Music folder, load them into your media player. If you have a portable MP3 player, set it to shuffle. If you can't have it shuffle, then you'll have to play it and see where it leads you.
Ready? Have a pen and piece of paper ready; or start up a new document on your word processor. You'll have to take note of each song that plays, assign it to the following designations, and yes, write a short story. You have your pick of characters' names and location names, and you can make it as long or as short as you want. Just make sure that you incorporate the themes of the songs that play (NOT the songs themselves, see, but what the songs mean to you. If the song tells a story, you can incorporate that story into your story; or if the song is about heartbreak, then you'll have a heartbreaking thing happening somewhere in your tale).
Now, press PLAY. Don't forward through the songs. Listen to each one and go through each one. No shortcuts!
1. The first song that plays describes your lead character.
2. The second song that plays describes your location.
3. The third song that plays describes the opening of your story.
4. The fourth song that plays talks about how the action builds up in your story (or, what happens that brings about the conflict).
5. The fifth song that plays talks about the conflict itself, the main point of your story, the grand adventure, or whatever the song describes.
6. The sixth song that plays talks about how the conflict is resolved.
7. The seventh song that plays talks about what keeps your lead character alive and kicking (or dying and decaying) through your story.
8. The eighth song that plays talks about the main weakness of your lead character that nearly knocks him or her off balance and sends him hurtling into depression/desperation/insanity/the Abyss.
9. The ninth song that plays talks about what fuels your lead character to do better and resolve the conflict. Note how this is different from the sixth song that plays. The sixth song describes the resolution itself, while the ninth song describes something less tangible that moves your character forward.
10. The tenth and last song that plays describes the final scene in your short story.
Don't forget to post your stories and/or links to them in the comments section. Happy writing!
Ready? Have a pen and piece of paper ready; or start up a new document on your word processor. You'll have to take note of each song that plays, assign it to the following designations, and yes, write a short story. You have your pick of characters' names and location names, and you can make it as long or as short as you want. Just make sure that you incorporate the themes of the songs that play (NOT the songs themselves, see, but what the songs mean to you. If the song tells a story, you can incorporate that story into your story; or if the song is about heartbreak, then you'll have a heartbreaking thing happening somewhere in your tale).
Now, press PLAY. Don't forward through the songs. Listen to each one and go through each one. No shortcuts!
1. The first song that plays describes your lead character.
2. The second song that plays describes your location.
3. The third song that plays describes the opening of your story.
4. The fourth song that plays talks about how the action builds up in your story (or, what happens that brings about the conflict).
5. The fifth song that plays talks about the conflict itself, the main point of your story, the grand adventure, or whatever the song describes.
6. The sixth song that plays talks about how the conflict is resolved.
7. The seventh song that plays talks about what keeps your lead character alive and kicking (or dying and decaying) through your story.
8. The eighth song that plays talks about the main weakness of your lead character that nearly knocks him or her off balance and sends him hurtling into depression/desperation/insanity/the Abyss.
9. The ninth song that plays talks about what fuels your lead character to do better and resolve the conflict. Note how this is different from the sixth song that plays. The sixth song describes the resolution itself, while the ninth song describes something less tangible that moves your character forward.
10. The tenth and last song that plays describes the final scene in your short story.
Don't forget to post your stories and/or links to them in the comments section. Happy writing!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Orchestrated Search #1
On this search, you will need the Internet and a printed, hard-copy dictionary next to you. Follow each step below, and don't forget to share your stories or essays as soon as they are done!
1. What is the first letter of your name? Open your dictionary to the section corresponding to this letter.
2. In what month were you born? Use your birth month's number in the calendar year for this step: that is, if you were born in June, use 6; if you were born in October, use 10. Now, use this number to get a page off the section of the dictionary corresponding to the letter you got in step #1.
For example, if you were born in June, and your name is Rachel, then go to the letter R section, and then to the 6th page of letter R. If you were born in December, and your name is Xerxes, but you cannot go beyond page 8 or 9 in your dictionary, go back to the first page of the letter X section in order to rotate numbers.
That is, if you are looking for page 12 of the letter X section, but your dictionary has only 8 pages of words beginning with X, then go back to the first page of the letter X section. This will be your page 9. Therefore, the 4th page of the letter X section will be your page 12.
3. Look at the first word that appears on the page that you selected. You will use this word in a Google Search.
4. Go to http://www.google.com
5. Type in the word that you found in the dictionary. Then, click "I'm feeling lucky."
6. You will be redirected to a website that ranks #1 in the word that you put in. Look at the front page of the website. Go no further. Note what the website is for, and see how effective the website is.
7. Here is your writing exercise: in 500 words or less, write a story about how you think the website was born. Who thought of it first? Why did that creator think that this website was needed? Is there anything about the creator that you know that no one else does? Your writing exercise can take the form of a story or a creative essay.
Have fun searching and writing!
1. What is the first letter of your name? Open your dictionary to the section corresponding to this letter.
2. In what month were you born? Use your birth month's number in the calendar year for this step: that is, if you were born in June, use 6; if you were born in October, use 10. Now, use this number to get a page off the section of the dictionary corresponding to the letter you got in step #1.
For example, if you were born in June, and your name is Rachel, then go to the letter R section, and then to the 6th page of letter R. If you were born in December, and your name is Xerxes, but you cannot go beyond page 8 or 9 in your dictionary, go back to the first page of the letter X section in order to rotate numbers.
That is, if you are looking for page 12 of the letter X section, but your dictionary has only 8 pages of words beginning with X, then go back to the first page of the letter X section. This will be your page 9. Therefore, the 4th page of the letter X section will be your page 12.
3. Look at the first word that appears on the page that you selected. You will use this word in a Google Search.
4. Go to http://www.google.com
5. Type in the word that you found in the dictionary. Then, click "I'm feeling lucky."
6. You will be redirected to a website that ranks #1 in the word that you put in. Look at the front page of the website. Go no further. Note what the website is for, and see how effective the website is.
7. Here is your writing exercise: in 500 words or less, write a story about how you think the website was born. Who thought of it first? Why did that creator think that this website was needed? Is there anything about the creator that you know that no one else does? Your writing exercise can take the form of a story or a creative essay.
Have fun searching and writing!
Monday, May 5, 2008
A New Class of Exercises: Orchestrated Searches
Ever been on a treasure hunt? Now, have you ever tried writing about it?
What if I told you to look for the third word in the first line of the hundredth page of the fifth book on your bookshelf? And what if I told you to use that word as the first word of your story?
What if I told you to load your songs onto your media player, set it to random, and write an essay about the eighth song that plays?
There are many ways to get a treasure hunt going, and they can lead the way to a lot of novel exercises. Watch this blog for more orchestrated searches and guided treasure hunts!
What if I told you to look for the third word in the first line of the hundredth page of the fifth book on your bookshelf? And what if I told you to use that word as the first word of your story?
What if I told you to load your songs onto your media player, set it to random, and write an essay about the eighth song that plays?
There are many ways to get a treasure hunt going, and they can lead the way to a lot of novel exercises. Watch this blog for more orchestrated searches and guided treasure hunts!
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