Fixed Form Narratives
What is a fixed form narrative? It’s all about experimenting within limits by following a “formula.” Think sonnet, but for prose instead of poetry. It’s a way of writing with constraints, which can unlock creativity.
Here are three writing exercises to play with. I learned about the first two from Bruce Holland Rogers, and the third is a variation of his English Prose Sonnet Exercise.
369 Story
A 369 story is a set of three thematically related 69ers. A 69er story is exactly 69 words, not including the title.
Start by choosing a theme, then write for about 15–20 minutes. When your timer goes off, count your words. If you don’t have enough words, set your timer for another 10 minutes. If you have enough words, revise your draft until it tells a story in exactly 69 words. Then give it a title.
Repeat the above two more times. When you have three complete 69ers with titles, add a title for the whole and you’ll have a 369 story!
Fibonacci Sonnet
Two-paragraph story in which the word count of sentences is determined by the Fibonacci series of numbers: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 (add the last two numbers to get the next). The sentences can count up or down in either paragraph.
Write a Fibonacci Sonnet using first or third person point of view. Set it in a specific season and a specific place. Follow these patterns:
Paragraph 1 pattern
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 or 21, 13, 8, 5, 3, 2, 1
Paragraph 2 pattern
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 or 13, 8, 5, 3, 2, 1, 1
Prose Sonnet
A prose sonnet is a narrative of fourteen sentences. The final word of each sentence slant rhymes with the last word of another sentence. Here’s the rhyme scheme to follow: ababcdcdefefgg.
The last two sentences must summarize the story, or cast the story in an ironic light, or subvert the story, or do anything else that constitutes a strategic shift.
Write a Prose Sonnet. Feel free to start with one of the prompts below. Add a line break after each sentence to make it easier to follow the rhyme scheme. When you’re finished, remove the line breaks and give your story a title.
Optional prompts
- On Mondays, I like to …
- She has no idea where …
- We are not going to …