Thread: Write a story without using the words "the,a,I,them,they,etc."

Welcome to my challenge! This simple writing project is pretty hard.

The Rules: Do not use the words "the, a, I, they, them, or we" in your story

It's hard but not impossible.

I'd very much like to have a go at this... but it seems pretty hard! Surprised that no one else has!

How long should the story be?

at least 100 words plus. I'll post mine soon.

[Warning: Language]

I felt kind of ridiculous obsessing over how to get around those words, but here's what I came up with.
Then I had to edit it five times after I posted. Ugh.

(Untitled)

Afternoon shadows crawled over jagged cliffs. It looked as though sunlight would conquer Big Valley before dusk, until familiar menacing clouds settled and swallowed spacious seaside fields that afternoon.
Miles away, weary travelers crossed paths at Big Valley's western coast where boats from far-off places docked for comers and goers alike. Those who stepped off of ships with smiles and luggage came to harvest. Those who boarded departing ships with empty hands yearned only to escape.
Two men crossed paths at Big Valley Shore and exchanged greetings.
"Good evening, friend. You just get in?" asked Sam, who was headed out with only tired eyes and both arms shoved deep in his coat pockets.
"Yes sir, twenty minutes or so ago," replied Virgil, bright with excitement. He carried his carefully bundled belongings under his right arm and his small daughter, wrapped head to toe in over-sized rain gear, in his left.
"Where from?"
"Baylor City."
"Well, that'll probably be my boat. Need directions from here to somewhere?"
"Isn't Cliffside just across Big Valley?" Virgil asked, pointing northeast. It was. Big Valley reached its highest elevation ten miles east before sharply dropping off at Cliffside, where everyone stepping ashore wanted to settle and grow something.
Sam furrowed his brow at this, for he had intended to offer directions almost anywhere else.
"You might want to head south. It's safer if you--"
"No no, friend. My heart is set on farming. Simple as that."
Sam clenched his jaw, eager to leave. "Everyone's heart is set on farming here. Good luck."
Virgil smiled, then tilted his head with bold curiosity. "Why on earth would you leave behind such beautiful surroundings for…Baylor?" He set down his bundle and gestured seaward, presumably at far-off wastelands. "There's nothing but desert out there. Baylor…Preston…Kenley…all miserable hellholes."
Sam sharpened his tone with growing insistence. "This area is governed by different laws than what you're used to. It isn't worth it for me to hang around any longer. Whatever you heard about Cliffside Commune is pure shit." He shook his head furiously, as if trying to shake off his disgust.
"It can't be," Virgil insisted. He stared at his surroundings in awe. "Look at this place! It really does exist. It almost doesn't even sound real, but--" now he set his child down and raised both of his hands with enthusiasm--"here it is!" He sucked in heavy ocean breeze, then turned back to Sam. "And friend, there haven't been laws since before things went to hell on this planet. Who enforces laws anymore? What government?" Virgil laughed at such absurdity.
"It ain't about government. Thieves, criminals and dictators don't need laws to control who gets to be here and who gets to have what." Sam began to spit his words in anger."Just greed, my friend. Just pure, sick, contagious greed. You pay for every minute you spend in this 'paradise.' You're racking up debt just standing here. You and me both." His voice crescendoed with paranoia. "Just think real hard about what means what to you. What it really means to be alive. And while you're here, take my advice and hide everything you've got there, especially her." He pulled something out of his right pocket now, something without any fingers attached to it. He pointed his ragged stump at Virgil's daughter as she crouched down to pick up shells.
Tears welled in his eyes. He fell silent and time momentarily stopped as terrifying memories interrupted his thoughts. "Right away," he finished after several seconds of silence.
Virgil's eyes widened at what he saw, but didn't acknowledge it for fear of being rude. He was displeased with Sam's pessimism, and worried now. He tried to reassure himself by perpetuating his argument. "That's all just protocol now," he muttered dismissively, though his voice had lost most of its optimism. "That's just our world. Hide your goods, watch your ass, on and on, every goddamn day. There's nothing to work for. Nothing to enjoy. People are giving up their most precious possessions over water. You should be ashamed, leaving this behind. Even if you…even if you can't farm." He swallowed, trying not to stare at Sam's handicap and fighting back his urge to ask how it happened.
Sam shook his head heavily and stuck out his torn left boot at Virgil, gesturing for him to pull something out of it. Virgil crouched down and retrieved Sam's weather-worn sketch of Big Vally Territory. "Keep it," Sam insisted.
"Thanks, friend…" Virgil said quietly. "You uh… you have anything to bring back to Baylor?" He tried to salvage whatever cheer and well-wishing he could to end their conversation.
Sam pulled his other stump out of his left pocket.
"Ran out of things to pay with," he muttered.
"W-what…" Virgil stammered.
"Just remember what you said," Sam muttered softly, his mangled limbs held out in front of him. "People really are giving up anything over water. There's just more water and more to give up here." He tried to hide his sadness.
Virgil hesitated, then finally asked. "Why your hands?"
Sam glanced at his feet. "Gotta have something to walk away with." He smiled, but even his sense of humor was overspent in the painful transactions he'd made to keep himself upright. He slipped his stumps back into his empty pockets and trudged past Virgil and his daughter toward freedom, hoping to avoid rainfall altogether. Interest alone on one to two inches would send him into collections again.
Virgil looked down at his little girl and shook his head. "Ridiculous. Come on, my dear."
"Daddy, thirsty!" she cried.
He frowned. Gathering up their belongings, he took her tiny hand in his and tried not to calculate what he would be willing to surrender as he led her toward Cliffside.

The Rules: Do not use the words "the, a, I, they, them, or we" in your story

It's bloody hard to post stories without using certain words. One-hundred words or more, are you bloody crazy man. It's impossible to do. One would have to spend hours contemplating multiple strategies to even begin this daunting task.
Third person seems like it would be an amazing way to begin. Not "me" and another word that cannot be posted here. What an amazing task to take on for myself. Oh but though shall not do my story in third person. Bloody hell man this challenge is meant for first person Point of view. Extending abbreviations now that's easy. Do not talk about others as that could lead to many forbidden words.

Words one might want to exclude from stories such as this are ones such as "if" and many others. It becomes hard to not use forbidden words after specific words. Especially when beginning sentences. Oh plurals that is one way to avoid forbidden words. This is easily discovered as you begin to try and write stories with forbidden words.

Take this story as guidance. How you use phrase sentences can make or break your story. Use plurals and change your wording to avoid need of forbidden words. Avoid those forbidden words and you will do fine, because many words are still available to you. Really this makes for very high quality writing. Good writing exercises like this are hard to come by.


I, I mean we, can all use these lessons to purge them nasty habits for they are a plague to quality writing.

Oh Balls... Can't quite get that last sentence right. Or did I do it perfectly as I intended? ^^

Seriously man I loved doing this. It felt so good writing this I'm almost crying at the moment.

Edit: I used "the 3 times & I once in original post with out even realizing it." So much for being sarcastic about how hard it was. Sarcasm fail for the win?

The Rules: Do not use the words "the, a, I, they, them, or we" in your story

It's fairly easy if you can catch those accidental the's they are the hardest to exclude. Just have to change the way you phrase things. It takes a lot of extra thinking and can make for better writing I think.

Now add "this, that, me, it and is" Could make things more challenging?

The Rules: Do not use the words "the, a, I, they, them, their this, that, me, it, is or we" in your story {Note setting scenery for me with these restrictions seem hard at first glance. May reflect in story telling.}

Stormbinding was an ancient magic system used by men once called Stormcasters. Magic men hailed as holy, something religious in nature. Alex discovered his ability to use stormbinding on his fifteenth nameday. Greenwood forest one mile south of Avendesora capital city to Alexandria, place of which Alex discovered his unique ability. Such an unfortunate occurrence and blessed as well. Power of which he had never felt before flooded his veins and boiled his blood. light blue white trailed like smoke form his skin.

Today he would have to use his abilities on men. Soldiers of Camean's army. Here to rape virgin women and murder children he could not ignore such an event. People of older age had already left. To disappear with no word. "Oh well," he thought. He just knew he had to do what was right. Such passion he had for protecting maiden women and small children. He wasn't alone with those feelings of course but every man and women who was not maiden had left for some reason. "Well time to fight, battle lines have already formed," he said. "

Two armies so unevenly matched there could be no other outcome but women getting raped and children getting murdered in the streets. No battle at all just savagery. Alex began drawing in his power. Stormclouds filled the air. A chill ran down his spine at what he was about to do.

"Stormwinds blow and lightning strike. Purge these men from our land!" he roared. If you looked closely enough you could see him smiling faintly.

Lightning rained down upon men. Where lightning struck men died. Hundreds of thousands of bolts met hundreds of thousands of men. Seconds past and the battle was over.



"Over powered much?" Alex commented to himself.

"That it is, and the men they left their children. I, no we, think their selfish "me" attitude is a bit of a sarcastic plot," answered the Forum."

/end

rofl this really is fun.

Should make grades of difficulty based on number of "common" word restrictions
6/10 (Difficult)
Do not use the words "the, a, I, they, them, or we" in your story
12/10 (Ridiculously challenging)
Do not use the words "the, a, I, they, them, their this, that, me, it, is or we" in your story
20/10 (Not even sure this is possible without grammatical errors.)
Do not use the words "the, a, I, they, them, their this, that, me, it, is, he, she, of, had, for, to, an, you or we" in your story

I completed the first two with perhaps some error before editing. The last one I am too tired to even attempt.