I’ve been writing for some time on the Writers’ Know-How website about the Oulipo. This is a French movement whose name translates (approximately) as the workshop of potential literature. Oulipo is all about applying constraints to your writing, such as attempting to create a piece of work without using a particular letter.
The best quote I’ve come across about Oulipo was not about Oulipo though! It is the artist Matt Madden’s comment on Oubapo, which is the principles of Oulipo applied to the creation of comics. He says:
“Oubapo’s work is necessarily preliminary, there’s a whole medium out there waiting to be mined and explored. The emphasis of these projects is on play and experimentation, with a belief in the back of our heads that once in a while we might create something truly great.”
I think that’s exactly right. Sometimes I’ll read an example of Oulipo writing and wonder what exactly the point of it was. Even worse, I feel that quite often when I use an Oulipo technique in my own writing! But in a way, that is the point. You experiment and experiment, try things out. Sometimes what you produce is unutterable rubbish. But occasionally you really do produce something worth keeping, or which sparks an idea for a new piece of writing.
I’ll be taking a very short course called Writing the Oulipo: a taster, on 19 June 2021. As it’s name implies, this is an introductory class, and lasts for just two and a half hours. If you’re interested in learning a few techniques to expand your writing ideas, along with suggestions for further reading, then sign up. It will take place online, so from a geographical point of view it doesn’t matter where in the world you are. Details here: Writing the Oulipo: A Taster.