Splash Pond

Choose one or more of the prompts below and have fun splashing around! The more you play around with the possibilities of language, the more nuanced your own sense of Wordcraft will become.

1. Take your longest sentence and rewrite it as three short sentences, then find the middle ground

2. Write the same idea five different ways, starting with different parts of speech each time

3. Try "sentence combining"—take several short sentences and merge them into one flowing sentence

4. Write a paragraph using only questions, then rewrite it using only statements

5. Practice "sentence surgery"—remove every unnecessary word from a complex sentence

1. Replace every "very + adjective" combination with a single, more precise adjective

2. Find five different ways to say "important" and use each in a different context

3. Rewrite a formal paragraph using only words a 12-year-old would know, then find sophisticated versions

4. Take a boring sentence and "dress it up" with more specific, colorful word choices

5. Write the same concept using jargon, then plain language, then find the sweet spot between them.

1. Write a paragraph using only simple sentences, then combine them with interesting punctuation

2. Try writing without using any form of "to be" (is, am, are, was, were) for one full page

3. Practice using semicolons by connecting related ideas that could stand as separate sentences

4. Experiment with sentence fragments for emphasis (when appropriate)

5. Play with parallel structure—create sentences where similar ideas follow identical patterns

1. Read your writing aloud and mark every place you naturally pause or take a breath

2. Write to the rhythm of your favorite song for one paragraph

3. Try "echo editing"—repeat key words or phrases across sentences to create coherence

4. Alternate between long and short sentences for an entire page

5. Write one idea as a whisper (soft, flowing language) then as a shout (sharp, direct language)

1. Write the same paragraph in the style of three different authors you admire

2. Rewrite a formal passage as if you're talking to a curious friend

3. Take casual language and gradually make it more formal through five versions

4. Write your most complex idea using only one-syllable words, then gradually add complexity

5. Practice "tonal shifts"—write seriously, then playfully, about the same topic

Do you have a Splash Pond experiment to share? We’d love to hear about it! Email your ideas for splashing with Wordcraft to writespace@helensword.com.