My First Fifty Obliques

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Feb 012015
 

Last time I named these obliques, ways of looking at a problem from a different angle:

  1. What would it look like made of sheet metal? (My mother’s and grandmother’s question, married to tin smiths)
  2. Where’s the puce?
  3. If it were a pig in Angry Birds, how would I attack it?
  4. Are there mores I need to ignore here?
  5. What does it look like from above or below?

And I continue thus:

  1. What do I want to  touch?
  2. Does it have a smell or a sense of smell?
  3. On a ladder, how high is it?
  4. Do my sons understand it better than I? How would they describe it?
  5. Is it bigger than a breadbox or know what a breadbox is?
  6. Brogans or stilettos?
  7. Where is the fear?

And speaking of fear, my analytical mind is telling me this is a silly waste of time, that these can never have any validation, could not possibly help, and if I put together a hundred of them I’ll never again look at the list. But my dreamer mind is saying, well, whispering, “Maybe…” so I’ll continue.

  1. Can it ride on ruby rails?
  2. Thinking of the last book I bought, how would it change this?
  3. What is the very first thing to do on it? The seventh?
  4. Why do I care?
  5. Toss aside the oughts, where are the wishes?
  6. Am I just doing this to avoid the one I know is the right answer? What would that be?
  7. Which superhero does it best?
  8. Which season of the year suits it?
  9. What period of history fits best?
  10. How do you explain the problem to a child?
  11. Tell an engineer what you want to do.
  12. Spin a romance novel plot around the issue.
  13. Who is the villain in the mystery?
  14. Did Mother have a generational curse? What?
  15. Did Daddy have a generational curse? Do I have it?
  16. What gifts (talents) have I received that I do not use?
  17. What gifts (presents) have I received that I do not use?
  18. What do I actively not want to do? Why?
  19. Go to the word of the day and see what it contributes.
  20. Go to the quote of the day and see what it contributes.
  21. Look at your favorite comic strip for today’s date.
  22. Pick up the last thing you write and choose only the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th words. Put those five words into a sentence about your issue.
  23. Why do I want to do this if I’m struggling with it so?
  24. Why do I not want to do this but say I do?
  25. State the word most closely related. Look up the synonyms of the word. Does that change anything?
  26. What four ideas do I want to get across.
  27. What’s the least I can do? Why haven’t I done it?
  28. What can I do in the next minute to advance this project?
  29. If it were a seven-piece set of Russian nesting dolls, how would each differ from the last and expand the entire idea?
  30. If you had or have an imaginary friend, what thoughts does the pal contribute?
  31. If you dropped the idea on a Monopoly board, where would you want it to land?
  32. Who do you want to work with you on this from among your friends? Why?
  33. Who do you want to work with you on this from among your family? Why?
  34. Who do you want to work with you on this from among famous people? Why?
  35. Who do you want to work with you on this from among your historical mortals? Why?
  36. Who do you want to work with you on this from among your fictional characters? Why?
  37. How would the little engine that could get over the mountain?
  38. What has convinced Henny Penny the sky is falling?

I’ll have more obliques to write, but next I’ll put these to a practical use and let you use them (and yours) to help me plan the next Silver Boomer Books anthology.

Obliques

 Writing Prompts  1 Response »
Jan 272015
 

I mentioned Dr. Davis’s blog and motivational speech last time. Another take-away from that was the concept of Obiques. Her discussion can be found at Step 2:Start, including her list. I have intentionally not yet read that list, but I will. Oh, I will!

So, what is an oblique? It’s a geometric term: neither parallel nor at a right angle, coming in from an odd direction. In this context if means a way of breaking through trite writing processes. Some thought provoking bits she quotes from her source are these:

Some examples: What would your closest friend do?
Your mistake was a hidden intention.
What is the simplest solution?
Repetition is a form of change.
Don’t avoid what is easy.

My purpose in bringing this up is twofold. The basic need is for me to come up with entries for this blog that will beckon you. But on a deeper level, I need a list of ideas, of thought-starters, of more creative ways to write whatever I’m doing. That would immediately include writing biographic sketches for a group of historic women; a poem every day; my next great book to write; my next great book to publish (other than those I write or have accepted now), and (gulp) in what direction to take my life now.

My first five obliques:

  1. What would it look like made of sheet metal? (My mother’s and grandmother’s question, married to tin smiths)
  2. Where’s the puce?
  3. If it were a pig in Angry Birds, how would I attack it?
  4. Are there mores I need to ignore here?
  5. What does it look like from above or below?

I’m more to write. But first I’ll read Dr. Davis’…and yours if you’ll put them in the comment form.