I use these two speedy techniques to create lists of adjectives.
Technique One - Synonym and Selection
To kick off this approach, I just look round the room and pick a random object:
Dog.
Then I think of an adjective that describes a dog:
Cute.
Then I have a choice of synonym or selection. I'll go for synonym here; that's more or less self explanatory - I choose a synonym for cute:
Adorable.
Same choice again, synonym or selection, but here I'll demonstrate selection. With selection I take the first letter of the word (adorable = a) then select another letter at random from the word, and use the two letters to trigger another adjective.I'll choose the letter b:
a + b = able.
Then I just carry on using synonym and selection until I have a list of adjectives:
able synonyms =
capable, adept.
adept selection = a + t
= attentive
attentive synonyms =
studious, captivated, alert
captivated selection = c + p
= capricious, corpulent, copper, capable
copper synonyms =
metallic, shiny, metal, brassy
brassy selection = b + r
= bright, boring, braggy, bare.
etc.
Technique Two -Noun and its adjectives, synonym, selection
Synonym and selection are explained above. The other option in addition to those two is noun and its adjectives. With NAIA I look at an adjective and think of something that that adjective could describe. Here's some examples, using the adjectives generated above:
able = handyman, Superman, instructor.
attentive = student, partner.
copper = wire, tank, money.
Then for any of the nouns I list some adjectives that could describe them:
Superman = amazing, dependable, alien, fast, strong.
student = hard working, educated, stressed.
wire = long, thing, electronic, wirey.
Here's how technique two can pan out:
First I'll pick something from the room I'm in:
Carpet.
I'll pick an adjective that describes the carpet:
Green.
I'll select the two letters from green: g + e, which suggests:
Generous.
Now for some synonyms:
Benevolent, kind, magnanimous.
Selection (for benevolent) = b + n. Gives:
Banned.
Selection again. b + d. Gives:
Bodily.
Now to pick a noun, something that is bodily:
Arms.
Adjective for arms:
Dexterous.
And now some multiple responses to each prompt:
Dexterous = nimble, clever, supple.
Supple (s + u) = sunny, sumptuous, surly, southern.
What's sunny? = Barbados. The sun. Beaches. Solar System.
The sun = hot, spherical, distant, big, essential.
essential (synonyms) = important, irreplaceable, de rigueur.
etc.
NB: If I want to use a random adjective and look to my list and look at a noun (such as Barbados, the sun, beaches, Solar System etc) then I kind of turn the noun into an adjective (by adding something like "ish") then ask myself, "What could that mean as an adjective?"
Eg: Barbados-ish = hot, sunny, beachy.
Solar System-ish = enormous, scientific, planet-ish.
etc.
Friday, August 01, 2014
Monday, July 21, 2014
How to create a list of random words quickly
I use this speedy technique to create a list of random words - the words created are all of one syllable.
First of all, I get a random word from somewhere - I usually think of a random letter and name a word of one syllable that starts with that letter. I'll go for "m" and I choose "mouse".
I have two options then using my word "mouse" - I can either Rhyme, or Select (with Select, I select two letters from the word - I always use the first letter, then randomly select another letter from the word. So, for example, the word "pine" would give "p", and the randomly selected letter I choose is "n" which gives: p & n.)
Rhyme
I'll use Rhyme on the word "mouse". This is self-explanatory - I'll just name one syllable words that rhyme with "mouse". I'll name a few:
House
Spouse
Grouse
Louse
Nous
Select
I'll carry on now using the word "nous" from the list above. So, I select the first letter of "nous" - "n" then randomly select another letter from the word. I'll go for "u", which gives me n and u. Now I'll name a few words - of one syllable - that start with the letter "n" and contain the letter "u" somewhere in the word:
Numb
Nul
Noun
Nub
And that's it. Now, as an example, I'll carry on from the word "nub":
Nub
Select: N and B.
Gives:
Nab
Nib
Rhyme (of Nib)
Gives:
Glib
Bib
Crib
Lib
Select: L and I.
Gives:
Light
Lint
Limp
Loin
List
Line
Rhyme (of Line)
Gives:
Mine
Swine
Tyne
Spine
etc.
First of all, I get a random word from somewhere - I usually think of a random letter and name a word of one syllable that starts with that letter. I'll go for "m" and I choose "mouse".
I have two options then using my word "mouse" - I can either Rhyme, or Select (with Select, I select two letters from the word - I always use the first letter, then randomly select another letter from the word. So, for example, the word "pine" would give "p", and the randomly selected letter I choose is "n" which gives: p & n.)
Rhyme
I'll use Rhyme on the word "mouse". This is self-explanatory - I'll just name one syllable words that rhyme with "mouse". I'll name a few:
House
Spouse
Grouse
Louse
Nous
Select
I'll carry on now using the word "nous" from the list above. So, I select the first letter of "nous" - "n" then randomly select another letter from the word. I'll go for "u", which gives me n and u. Now I'll name a few words - of one syllable - that start with the letter "n" and contain the letter "u" somewhere in the word:
Numb
Nul
Noun
Nub
And that's it. Now, as an example, I'll carry on from the word "nub":
Nub
Select: N and B.
Gives:
Nab
Nib
Rhyme (of Nib)
Gives:
Glib
Bib
Crib
Lib
Select: L and I.
Gives:
Light
Lint
Limp
Loin
List
Line
Rhyme (of Line)
Gives:
Mine
Swine
Tyne
Spine
etc.
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