The February word for my prompt challenge book group was aleatoric: Composition depending upon chance, random accident, or highly improvisational execution, typically hoping to attain freedom from the past, from academic formulas, and the limitations placed on imagination by the conscious mind.
I suppose “aleatoric” sums up our monthly prompt challenge—the chosen word is supposed to provoke a book or composition that depends on chance (the random word selected).
What I did was use the challenge to goose my haiku writing practice. I try to write a 3 line something every day. Lately the results have been very flat. So for most of February, I took inspiration from the daily word from the OED (it’s mailed to me each day, you can subscribe yourself from the link on the right column of the OED home page). Initially I intended to use the actual word in my 3 line poem, but some were pretty challenging (for instance, “alley opp” and “pigeon milk”—an imaginary substance which, as a joke, a gullible person may be sent to buy) so I tried to riff on the definitions instead.
Once I had about 20 haiku, I picked 8 at random. Then I picked 8 more scraps from my box of scrap paper, paired a scrap with the haiku and made a collage. The haiku are mostly non-keepers, but I expected that, given that’s been true of the haiku I’ve been writing for years. But I’m pleased to say my haiku practice has been given a good prod, and I’m happily writing them again.
Here’s the accordion with the collages and haiku, and a close up.
Really like this work. I do something similar, although I invite people to provide the prompts. See http://anthonyquinnartist.com/reading-is/ which is similar but in the very early stages (I’m collecting the prompts). If you’d like to see some of the early work and thinking following on from the prompts, there are some posts on my blog. Is it possible to buy your booklet – couldn’t see that mentioned in your post. Best, Anthony