Time Traveller can be used for all genres of writing and can generate some unusual results.

Where Do I Start? | Time Traveller

Nov 16, 2024

Skylight view of a dark futuristic structure with a uniform series of tiny lightbulbs

Time Traveller is one of my favourite writing exercises. It can be used for all genres of writing and can generate some unusual results.

I’ve used this exercise in experimental writing, poetry, and fiction workshops.

Merriam-Webster has a section on their website called Time Traveler where they post words that were added to the dictionary according to the year they were added.

For example, when you select the year 2005, you’ll see that the words: butt-dial, glamping, truther, microblogging were added that year (among others).

Writing Prompt

Click onto Time Traveler and pick a year that you want to work with. It can be your birth year, the birth year of someone special in your life, or another significant year.
Once you select a year, you’ll be given a list of works that were added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in that year.
Pick one or more of the words from this year and free write for 10 minutes.
Using some of the material that you generated, write a poem, a story, a play, or a script.

Paid subscribers are invited to share their process of this writing prompt and/or post their creative work in the comments.

Select works will be considered for publication in a future issue of Send My Love to Anyone.

For Inspiration

“Wednesday’s Child” by Yiyun Li, The New Yorker

“When Things Go Missing” by Kathryn Schultz, Personal History, The New Yorker

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