Constrained writing

Constrained writing is a literary technique in which the writer is bound by some condition that forbids certain things or imposes a pattern.

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Constraints are very common in poetry, which often requires the writer to use a particular verse form.

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The most common constrained forms of writing are strict restrictions in vocabulary, e.g. Basic English, E-Prime, defining vocabulary for dictionaries, and other limited vocabularies for teaching English as a Second Language or to children. This is not generally what is meant by 'constrained writing' in the literary sense, which is motivated by more aesthetic concerns. For example:

Related Topics:
Vocabulary - Basic English - E-Prime - Defining vocabulary - English as a Second Language - Aesthetic

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• Lipogram, a letter (commonly e or o) is outlawed;
• Palindromes, such as the word "radar," read the same both ways;
• Alliteratives, in which every word must start with the same letter (or subset of letters; see Alphabetical Africa)
• Acrostics;
• Reverse-lipograms (each word must contain a particular letter);
• Ander-Saxon;
• Anagrams;
• Aleatory (where the reader supplies a random input);

The Oulipo group is a gathering of writers who use such techniques.

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The Outrapo group use theatrical constraints.

Related Topics:
Outrapo - Theatrical constraints

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Gadsby is an English-language novel consisting of 50,100 words, none of which contain the letter "e".

Related Topics:
Gadsby - English

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In 1969, France's Georges Perec published La Disparition, a novel that did not include the letter "e". It was translated into English in 1995 by Gilbert Adair as "A Void".

Related Topics:
1969 - France - Georges Perec - La Disparition - Novel - 1995 - Gilbert Adair - A Void

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In 2004, a new marvel from France: a novel, entirely without verbs: Le Train de Nulle Part ("The Train from Nowhere") by Michel Thaler. http://chronicle.com/free/2004/06/2004060205n.htm

Related Topics:
2004 - France - Verb - Le Train de Nulle Part - Michel Thaler

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One famous constrained writing in the Chinese language is the Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den which consists of 92 characters, all with the sound shi.

Related Topics:
Chinese language - Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den

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