About One Two Fiver
One Two Fiver is the online incarnation of a writing strategy I developed for my own use. It started out as a web page, but proved popular and has now become a fledgling community.
About the One Two Fiver process
One Two Fiver works by starting you off on a single, pure, isolated word. Spelling out a single word is not writing as such and so escapes the consideration, planning and concerns that the act of writing carries. The same is true for two words. At five words syntax comes into play and you have the scope to form a simple sentence or phrase. Ten words brings you into the realm of standard sentence length.
But a sentence on its own is free from higher level concerns such as plot or theme. With 50 words you can sketch out a plot, shoehorn in a beginning, middle and end. This requires some thought, maybe some planning or revision, but due to the low word count it is not so intimidating that you come to a halt. Each step up in size from 50 is an opportunity for more detail, more challenge and deeper reflection.
I stopped One Two Fiver's progression at 500 words because I like short pieces of writing. And editing long pieces of text in a webpage is annoying.
Future Directions
The future directions are now the current directions - adding features so users can share their writing and make connections with other writers. A standalone, cross-platform version of One Two Fiver is also in the works. If you have any suggestions come and join the discussion.
jimmy