Monday, February 13, 2006

Listing adverbs and adverbial phrases

In the near future I will be making some posts about creativity techniques that use adverbs (and adverbial phrases) and I will be linking to this post.

Listing adverbs and adverbial phrases

Method one

With this first method I take some random words from directed-association results:

Example: priceless, parliament, improve

and use the first three letters to trigger adverbs. Thus:

priceless = privately, primitively, priggishly
parliament = partially
improve = imperatively, imperiously, importantly

I can also make up adverbs. So with a random word 'Boomtown' I could create an adverb and a possible meaning:

Booly = in a way that shocks people

With a random word 'puns' I could create:

Punily = in a way that uses puns

Method two

With the second method I pick off verbs/actions from the directed-association results:

Example: disrespecting, crying, learning

and consider adverbs or adverbial phrases that could 'fit' the actions:

Disrespecting is done: rudely, with attitude, angrily
Crying is done: tearfully, sadly, with the eyes
Learning is done: studiously, cerebrally, with books, by using the memory

I can also pick random words and create verbs before I consider adverbs that fit. So, with a random word 'trophy' I create the verb-form 'trophying'.

Trophying (winning a trophy) is done: triumphantly, gleefully, arduously, after lots of hard work

Method three

With method three my aim is to go beyond the predictable by naming a specific action before I consider adverbs that fit. I do this by using a template:

Name an X action

and choosing a random word for the 'X'.

Example:

Name a weapon action

From this I can name possible actions:

Loading a gun, firing a gun, choosing a weapon, hitting someone

and then pick one of these actions and consider adverbs that fit:

Firing a gun is done: powerfully, with bullets, with a target in mind, aggressively.

Method four

I can also list actions using the template:

Name an X X action

and choosing two random words thus:

Name an Haywain official action

Possible actions: guarding the Haywain, restoring the Haywain, explaining the Haywain (by a tour guide)

I then, as before, choose an action and consider adverbs that fit:

Restoring the Haywain is done: expertly, with oil paints, every ten years, with a relaunch date in mind.

See also: Listing adjectives and adjectival phrases

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