: Re: Would it be possible to write a novel without using the word "The"? In the novel I am writing, the story is told present tense and first person. The themes of the story present some unique

@Gloria285

Vote Up Vote Down

You're talking about what is called constrained writing. Here is a Wikipedia Link. Constrained writing is where you purposefully constrain yourselves by not allowing yourself to do certain things. For example, Lauren Ipsum's example in her answer of writing a book without using E is what is called a lipogram. This is where a certain letter of the alphabet (or couple!) are not used during a piece of writing.

These techniques of constrained writing are often used in poetry, though they can slip everywhere. Lauren's answer features a book which I was going to include in my answer, but I wasn't here first. That book is proof that a lipogram can be achieved in a very long piece of work. In fact, I remember that a year ago in my England class we were tasked to rewrite the entire first page of nineteen-eighty-four by George Orwell without using the letter E.

I think it's certainly possible. Omitting 'the' would be a form of constrained writing. If you're trying to do this... well, good luck!

(0)

Login to post a comment!