Look, Ma, no commas

Want some new energy in your writing? Play a game with yourself.

One way to ensure you remain challenged with familiar subject matter is to add a secret scheme to your article/post. I started doing this a few years back with DVD reviews. It always helped when my attention was going astray. Sounds dumb -- but it can be fun.

Here's the idea: Write your post without commas. Don't write sentences over 5 words long. Don't write sentences under two dozen words long. Write in character. Make every verb related to your topic. Make the first sentence also the last. Imitate an author you admire. Write as if the item were a play.

Sound too tough? Consider the case of one Ernest Vincent Wright. He wrote a book without once using the letter "e." And on the subject of lowercase e's: We all know about E. E. Cummings.