WordleWrites is a daily practice that emerges from play, creative constraint and unguarded friendship.

This is a morning ritual of connection – to self and other. The puzzle solving and the settling of the words into some written piece often coming from that dreamy state before the day has begun in earnest; from the quiet moments before coffee, conversation, news, or other tasks of life.

Structure & constraints – rules of play

  • We each do Wordle in early morning, send results via text message.
  • When we are assured both have solved the game we are free to text the writing.
  • Must use our Wordle words in order and we must use them all.  
  • Our individual Wordle words are typed in all capitals to distinguish them in our writing.
  • Created via text, which plays with spacing and the cadence of writing.
  • 1st drafts – these are not crafted works!
  • New rules emerge as we continue to play with form and constraint. For example, Heather made a rule for herself to do Haiku format if she got the Wordle solution in 3 words. Georg’ann strives to use common words in uncommon ways.

Friendship & Play

WordleWrites is an authentic expressions of our imaginations and lived experiences, without fear of critique. Occasional we respond with an emoji or a few words of response that comes from what we know of one another’s lives or how a particular piece elicits an emotion or thought. Sometimes we might clarify or make a comment on something we’ve noticed in own writing. We don’t give feedback on craft or nor provide editorial input. Our intention is not about becoming better writers, though we are noticing the impact of a daily practice.

We are sharing without filters or need to impress. There is a deep sense of trust between us that allows our guards to come down. Play in its highest form is an act of trust, connection, joy and freedom from which something unexpected reveals itself. Our writings are little bursts of self we give to one another each day.

Or more poetically:

Tapping out in little square boxes 
Love of the challenges
Fascination with the way each of our minds work
Comforted by the parallel
wordplay
Not competitive, but not cooperative either
Truly parallel, it provides 
A cushion, a context, a place for soft interaction. 
Like a tap on the shoulder
A gentle check-in executed daily

Georg’ann
(Reflecting outside the structure)

BEGIN each day with a feel good QUOTE
then move to wordplay, where the SCORE 
doesn’t really matter, it’s not the point. 
What DROVE me here was you. 
My own amusement not always sufficient 
enough to sustain daily practices so steadily. 
Yes, I start each day searching for 5 letter words 
like FROZE with some bit of prose to follow
Knowing it’s not wordplay so much 
as full ranging love and life play 
that is tapped out in these little boxes.

Heather
the July 22, 2023 writing – FROZE
See also CRAVE, January 30th, 2022