Make it Fun! Part II
Like to Play? Then play with words
games are a great way to make writing fun
Making writing fun means making words fun. The sounds of words and phrases, the humorous juxtaposition, the weirdness—all of this is part of the joy of language. There are many ways to make words fun. You can do crosswords, play scrabble or other word games. You can learn a new word every day and improve your vocabulary. My son and I used to play Words With Friends, a Scrabble type game that can be played with friends on the other side of the country—or the globe—using an app. He was in grade school. I had been in a bad car accident and was in rehab in another city, so unfortunately we were separated by hundreds of miles but playing this computer version of scrabble on our phones allowed us to stay connected and have a little fun at the same time.
You can subscribe to email lists for word-lovers, such as a word of the day, from Wordsmith, or many others. Crossword puzzles are a great way to have fun with words. I subscribe to The New York Times crossword on my phone and iPad, and usually begin my day by doing what they call “The Daily Mini,” which has only about ten words. I can usually do the mini in under a minute. Then as my coffee kicks in and my brain wakes up, I might do what they call a “Midi,” which has about forty words. Finally, if I’m feeling particularly strong and have a few extra minutes, I might do the full crossword, which might have as many as 150 words.Then of course there is the real challenge the Sunday Times puzzle, which can have 250+ words. There are many easier crosswords out there, such as the USA Today crossword, or The Washington Post crossword, both free online.
Besides crosswords and Scrabble there are a number of other popular word games. Of course, this being the age of apps, you can search on the app store for your phone (Apple or Android) and find plenty of word game apps, some free, some paid. The apps usually come in varying degrees of seriousness: at one end of the scale are the apps that are just for fun, and at the other end are apps that promise to increase your vocabulary, etc.
And if you’re really serious, phone apps for learning a foreign language are another great way to have fun with language. Learning to appreciate the sounds, cadence and rhythm of any language other that your native language will help you to become more aware of the sounds, cadence and rhythm of your own writing.
Whatever you do, have fun with your writing, Play around with different pairing of words, different ways of arranging them in different orders. Read your sentences out loud. Shout them. Giggle over them. Write nonsensical sentences (knowing that you will edit them into something that can be understood). Sometimes by pushing the envelope you will find fun, witty, new ways of saying something. At the very least, the act of writing won’t be boring!
