Long-time friend of Tweetspeak, Sarah Elwell, started something on Twitter that’s more fun than anything I’ve seen in that space for… a long time.
If you don’t know Sarah, she’s a brilliant and quietly-witty writer and photographer. We suggest you pay her a visit at Knitting the Wind and consider following her on Twitter.
What She Started: A Procrastination of Writers?
Sarah asked for a little noun camaraderie on January 8, and, last I checked, her question yielded 268 likes, 48 retweets, and 131 comments.
Any thoughts on a good collective noun for writers?
eg
an articulation of writers
a blurb of writers
an introversion of writers
a procrastination of writers#writerscommunity— sarah elwell (@SarahElwell_) January 9, 2019
I played along. A few times. Or more. (And I loved Rick Wiedeman’s reply to my “a whiteout of writers.” See below.)
A revision of writers
— Rick Wiedeman (@rickwiedeman) January 10, 2019
If you are a writer in need of some procrastination today, why not add your ideas to Sarah’s thread? Also, this would make a marvelous family dinner time, lunch date, or writer’s group prompt. As one tweeter noted, you could dig further down and customize for your own nomenclature needs—for instance, nouns for journalists, poets, novelists. But why stop there? You could name a set of family members, friends, or work-related groups. (A chalk of teachers? A wall of politicians?)
There are so many procrastinating writers having fun with this that an entrepreneurial one took notice and floated this proposition to Sarah: copyright the tweet. That sounds like an issue for Jane Friedman to weigh in on. As for me, I’m trying to refrain from yet another idea…
a proposal of writers.
See?!
It’s addictive.
And that is something to seriously consider if you join the flock, the herd, the gaggle—or, the procrastination, as the case may be.
Photo by Tambako the Jaguar, Creative Commons, via Flickr. Post by L.L. Barkat, author of Rumors of Water: Thoughts on Creativity & Writing
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Speaking of fun on Twitter…
Join us for a night of fast, fun poetry writing. One hour straight. Tuesday, January 15th, at 8 pm ET.
We’d love to write with you! 🙂
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- Journeys: What We Hold in Common - November 4, 2024
- Poetry Prompt: My Poem is an Oasis - August 26, 2024
Sandra Heska King says
You’re on a roll since you put down your books. 😀
L.L. Barkat says
Proof is in the writing pudding. 😉 Yes!
sarah says
Aww, thank you so much for the kind words <3
L.L. Barkat says
My pleasure. I’ve always loved your work, as I hope you always remember. 🙂
sarah says
I remember that you were one of the first people to support me, many years ago, and I will never forget how much that support meant to me. <3
L.L. Barkat says
Oh, that makes me smile. I’m glad, Sarah. 🙂
Maureen says
Late to this and don’t know if it’s been used yet but I added:
An emendment of writers
L.L. Barkat says
(Are they friends with the amendment of politicians? 😉 )
Glad you joined the word party!
Donna says
Oh what fun! Thanks for pointing this out!
I added a palette of writers
and a pallet of writers
And even a pallet of palettes of writers 🙂
L.L. Barkat says
Ha! 🙂
I could see you and Joe trying this prompt out with other careers, say, artists and physicists. 🙂 (A rainbow of artists, a superconductor of physicists? 🙂 )
Donna Falcone says
HA HA! I like that. I’ll run it by him!
Sandra Heska King says
I had added groups from the animal kingdom…
a colony of writers
a murder of writers
a gaggle of writers
a pandemonium of writers
a bloat of writers
a prickle of writers
a charm of writers
a family of writers
a team of writers
L.L. Barkat says
I’m liking charm. 🙂
Sandra Heska King says
It’s better than murder. 😉
L.L. Barkat says
We save that for the crime writers among us. 😉
Katie says
Like how you think, Sandy:)
a revel of writers
a world of writers
L.L. Barkat says
I love the sound of “a revel of writers.” And, it makes me want to have a writing party! 🙂
Katie says
Thank you, Laura:)