Here’s the writing yoga exercise for August—and it’s a fun one!

The challenge

Pick a topic. Here are two options:

• An event you’re looking forward to in the near future
• A visit to a favorite park

Write a substantive paragraph about it—a couple hundred words. Here’s the challenge: use only one-syllable words.

This is much harder than it seems at first glance. It’s the basis for a game called “Poetry for Neanderthals.” In the game, you’re speaking under time pressure, which makes coming up with single syllable words much harder.

When we write, we have time to think about how to rephrase until we land on something that works. We might even consult a thesaurus to find ideas for substitutes and alternate phrasing.

When you’ve written your paragraph, read it aloud. Does it like a children’s book? If so, give it another try. See if you can write a paragraph that does not sound like the result of a prompt like this. You may find that short words can pull their weight. 

What this exercise show us

When we think of improving our vocabulary, we usually look for longer, more impressive words. This exercise prompts us to look for shorter ones. You may find that you can glance at something else that you’ve written and swap in short, punchy words for longer dull ones.

This exercise comes from my book, The Writer’s Voice: Techniques for Tuning Your Tone and Style. If you enjoyed it, you might check out that book. August is its one-year anniversary in the world.