Hwyl

Welsh word series 4 | Hwyl | Fun or excitement and fervour at a group event that fills your body with a sense of belonging.

In my workshops this week, we have been laughing at the silly twists and turns of witches and dragons, snakes which drop down dead, as well as elves and girls in yellow dresses. The Welsh word of the week is:

Hwyl

…which I understood as ‘fun’ when I was learning Welsh but I have found more nuanced meanings such as excitement and fervour at a competitive event such as a rugby match or poetry reading! We have a lot of hwyl in weekly workshops particularly when we play games. Here are some of my favourites:

I’ve divided them into three sections - the ones where no paper is needed (no writing needed either, just imaginations), the ones where you write, fold over and pass round the circle and the ones where you don't fold over, just write and pass round. 

No paper or writing needed 

These games are brilliant for children who can’t yet write or struggle to get all their ideas down. They help the ability to develop a story. Also brilliant to play on out on a walk or picnic, or to settle children down at bedtime. And even if you have no children, they are just fun to play anyway! 

The one-word story game 

This is a fast-paced game. Can be played by as many people as you have available. Everyone is only allowed to say one word. Someone starts with a beginning word, for example, ‘Once…’, the next person continues the story but only saying one word, for example, ‘upon’ and so on.  

The sentence story game 

This is a variation on the one-word story game but players are allowed to say a sentence or a fragment. Am not strict about whether it’s a sentence or not, just the next part of the story, but some people enjoy hogging the limelight so a limit can be helpful! 

The Story Cubes story game  

Story Cubes have more game ideas, but I play a really basic version. It’s a variation on the sentence story game. Everyone has a cube, and when it’s their turn to speak, they roll their cube and continue the story with reference to or inspired by the symbol facing up.  

Fortunately, unfortunately  

Tell a story in the circle, but each person has to take it in turns to start with Fortunately… or Unfortunately…. 

These games can go on for as long as you like. It’s helpful to give children a warning that the end is coming, for example, ‘one more round, then Sam can say the ending’. 

Folding over paper games 

These games are based on an old favourite, Consequences, where a funny story emerges from random answers put together. No one is allowed to look at what other people have written until the end.  

Consequences 

Everyone has a blank sheet of A4 paper to begin with. Then traditionally, writes a girl’s name, folds over passes to the next person, who then writes a boy’s name etc. It’s best when one person keeps track and calls out each prompt in turn, so that everyone knows what they are supposed to be writing. Keep going until you’ve been through all the prompts, unfold at the end and tell a story from what’s written.  

My Prompts 

I don't do the girl’s name, boy’s name version, but invent variations depending on the group. I use this game to introduce basic story structure or genre. So I might do a ghost story version or a murder story and include a weapon. For example: 

Goodie 
Baddie 
Where they met 
The special object (or murder weapon) 
What the goodie said to the baddie 
What the baddie said to the goodie 
What happened 
What happened next 
What happened in the end 

Questions and answers 

Following the order of the prompts below, write question, answer, question, answer, folding over and passing round after each one. Unfold and read out.  
 
Why…? 
Answer to a why question (you won’t see the question first so this is a random answer, beginning with because…) 
Where…? 
Answer to a where question 
When…? 
Answer to a when question 
How…? 
Answer to a how question 
Who…? 
Answer to a who question 
 

If I were… 

This idea came from Paul Matthews and his Creative Writing Sourcebook. Write the first part of the prompt and finish the sentence or phrase, fold over, pass round, continue. It’s helpful if people know there are two groups of four lines and what the prompts are (but still have someone saying the prompts each time). Read out in full at the end.  

If I were.. 
I would… 
And… 
Until… 

I seem to be… 
But really I am… 
I used to… 
But now I… 

Pass the paper with no folding 

These games are a great way to work on collaborative poems or stories. Someone writes the first part of a story or the first line of a poem, then passes round and the next person reads what has been written, writes the next part or line. And so on. I have done this to create Renga poetry. I also use this game to practise writing dialogue - two characters having a conversation in writing by passing paper back and forth. A great starter for this is: ‘Did you hear what happened last night?’.  
 
A variation that is really fun is to give each person a random word. The most democratic way to do this is everyone writes a random (can be themed) word on a Post-It and passes it to the person next to them. You then need to include your received word in each line or part of the story as the papers are passed round.  

This blog was created by Mel Parks, a writer, researcher and workshop facilitator based in Sussex, UK. Mel runs writing workshops locally and on Zoom and researches creativity in midlife as well as her personal connection to nature. She has been widely published and is currently working on a series of moon and plant-inspired essays.

It is free to read and share, but if you value my work, please do stop by my virtual honesty box and leave a handful of loose change.

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