The Dictionary Game

By Ken Waldman

This exercise works especially well in writing groups or small writing classes. Though it can be done solo, it loses much of its charm. It's really a writing exercise masquerading as a parlor game among friends.

1. Get a dictionary, preferably a hardback with weight. Choose a person to be the leader. The leader shakes the dictionary several times, explaining that this is an essential part of the ritual--think of the shaking as equivalent to the shuffling of a deck of cards! The leader then opens the dictionary at random.

2. Peruse the two open pages of the dictionary. For instance, you might find "loveable," "lovelorn," "lowbrow," "lox," "loyalty," and "lozenge." Choose one word from these pages, and write it on a chalkboard or piece of paper.

3. Pass the dictionary to the next person, who'll shake it, and again randomly open it. That person might see "critical," "crestfallen," "cretin," "crick," "criminal," "crisis," and "croak." Choose one word from these pages, and write it down.

4. Pass the dictionary again, on around the group, until there are several words chosen to work with. You might end up with words such as these:

5. Once all the words are on the board, each person can choose one or more of them to use in a sentence, paragraph, or essay. Challenge yourself to use as many of them as possible.

6. Add a variation to this exercise by making up phrases with two or more of the words, such as "paper clip tattoo," "those critical earthlings," or "starving for oatcakes." Be creative!

7. Another variation is to vote on the favorite combined phrase from the chosen words and use it as the title for a ten-minute freewrite.

Ken Waldman, Alaska's Fiddling Poet, has worked as a laborer, a waiter, a bookstore clerk, a tennis pro, a college professor, and since 1992 as a freelance writer, teacher, and performer. An Alaska resident since 1985, he has lived in Fairbanks, Juneau, Sitka, Nome, and Anchorage. He can be reached through the Nomadic Press, PMB 1551, 3705 Arctic, Anchorage, AK 99503.

Photo of Ken Waldman on a visit to Chugach Optional School in Anchorage to share his "fiddling" with writing poetry K-4 was taken by Alice Knapp.

Writing Workbook

Multiple Skill Levels

• Dictation Exercise
• Writing About Place
• Exercises in Discovering a Subject, Storytelling, and Nature Writing
• Masked Writers at Mat-Su Alternative School
• Writing a Letter to an Author
• Poetry Scavenger Hunt Exercise

Elementary

• Animal Body Exercise
• Books vs. Bytes Exercise
• Imaginary Zoos
• Creative Writing Exercise -- Anchorage Reads Program
• Newspapers in Education -- Writing About News Photos
• We Make Masks!
• Weavers of Words: Mask and Legend Exercise
• Writing Myths
• Write About a Pet
• Four Elementary Bilingual/ESL Exercises
• Creating a Newspaper Book Report

Middle School

• Important Things, Classroom Book Project
• Writing With Traits
• Newspapers in Education -- Middle School Writing

High School

• Creation Myth Writing Exercise
• Newspapers in Education -- High School Writing
• Book Report Exercise
• Justice and Freedom Exercise
• Exercises on Writing With Empathy
• War Poem Lesson Plan
• Cultural Adaptation of a Classic Play

Reading Workbook Index