Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Preparation
• Part 2 of 2: Composing the riddle
• Tips
• What do you need

People have been asking riddles for thousands of years. Of course, riddles are fun to guess, but many would agree that guessing riddles is a more fun process! You can compose your own riddles to share with friends and family.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Preparation

1. 1 Read a lot of riddles. Reading riddles will help you write your riddle. You can find many different riddles on the Internet or in books.
   • Many cultures have their own rules for composing riddles. Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon riddles are still very popular, even though they were written thousands of years ago! Typically, these riddles have very simple answers, such as "key" or "bow". You can find many riddles on the internet.
   • Riddles are also found in modern literature. In addition, it is very common to hear riddles in movies and TV shows. For example, in the book "The Hobbit" by the world famous English writer JRR Tolkien, an entire chapter is devoted to riddles. This is the fifth chapter of this book, Riddles in the Dark.
2. 2 Decide on the topic of the puzzle. Anything can become the theme of the riddle. Choose any item that is familiar to the person and make up a riddle about it.
   • The themes of the riddles can be natural phenomena such as storm or snow, animals, or actions.
   • Avoid topics that describe abstract concepts or require specialized knowledge.
3. 3 Decide on the size of your puzzle. Some riddles are very short, just a couple of phrases, while others are like a short story. Your riddle can be of any length. However, remember, everything is fine in moderation, so don't make up too long riddles. Otherwise, your audience will not be interested in guessing such riddles.
   • Here is an example of a very short Anglo-Saxon riddle written in AD 900 ("The Exton Book of the Last Judgment"): "Miracle on a wave / water became strong as bone." (Answer: ice on the lake).
   • Here is an example of a long riddle from the same book: “When I’m alive, I don’t speak. / Anyone can take me and cut off my head. / They gnaw at my naked body. / I don’t hurt until others start cutting me. / Then I make them cry. " (Answer: Bow).

Part 2 of 2: Composing the riddle

1. 1 Start by answering. If you decide on the answer, it will be easier for you to compose the riddle itself. Use the impersonation technique as you compose the riddle. Impersonation is the endowment of inanimate objects with living qualities.
   • For example, you might choose the word "pencil" as your answer because most people are familiar with this subject.
2. 2 Think about what the answer to your riddle is like and what it consists of. List your options. Choose verbs and adjectives for the given word - the answer. Write down a few synonyms for this word.
   • If you chose the word "pencil", your list of possible choices may include the following: "TM" (type of pencil)), "wooden", "rubber", "yellow", "pink hat" (eraser), "looks like a number 1 "(description of the shape of the pencil).
   • You can also include other points: for example, it must be sharpened, thanks to which, it will write well, over time it will become shorter if you use it often (paradox).
   • In addition, describe what you can do with a given thing: for example, a pencil is small, but it can do everything (you can write "everything" with a pencil).
3. 3 Write your riddle on a draft. Use metaphors to describe familiar things in unusual ways. Think about the list of ideas you came up with in the previous step. If your answer is "pencil", think about what metaphor you can use in this case. "Hand stick" or "yellow sword" are good metaphors for the chosen word, but they give a clear idea of ​​the hidden object.
   • Notice an example of a puzzle that uses a metaphor to describe a pencil: "The golden sword, with the pink hat, is the two trees" TM "and" M ".
   • A pencil is a "sword" because it is sharpened on one side. This description is also consistent with the sayings: "the pen is mightier than the sword", and can help to find a clue. The "pink hat" is an elastic band.
   • "Two Trees" are cedar (the most common type of wood used to make pencils) and rubber (rubber is a substance derived from wood used to make an eraser material).
   • The pencil looks like the number "1". Therefore, it is appropriate to use this figure when composing a riddle.
4. 4 Use simple words. Riddles were originally a form of oral literature and were very rarely written down. So think about what your riddle sounds like when you say it. Don't use complicated words and abstract concepts.
   • For example, your riddle about a pencil may sound like this: "This is a small object, but it can be, the longer it serves, the smaller it becomes."
   • Here is an example of a riddle from the book of the world famous English writer JRR Tolkien "The Hobbit": "A chest is made without a lock, without a lid, and a piece of gold is kept inside" (Answer: an egg).
5. 5 Personalize your puzzle. Another way to make the puzzle interesting is to let the puzzled object speak in the first person. Start the puzzle with "I" and then use the verb.
   • For example, in the case of the pencil riddle, you might say, "I am wearing a pink hat, but I have no head; I am sharp, but I have no intelligence; I can say something, but I cannot say a word."
6. 6 Think about what your riddle sounds like. Since riddles are usually communicated orally, pay attention to the sounds you use when composing the riddle. Use a technique such as alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of identical or homogeneous consonants in a poem, giving it a special sonic expressiveness. Also, try writing a rhymed riddle.
   • An example of a riddle where alliteration is used: "Mother Sophia dries up day and night, morning will come, she will leave behind" (Damper).
   • This is an example of a rhymed riddle: "In a snowy field, / On the road, / My one-legged horse is racing. / And for many, many years / Leaves a black trail" (Answer: pencil).
   • In addition, in riddles, you can very often find a kind of metaphor - kennings. Kenning is a descriptive poetic expression, consisting of at least two nouns, and used to replace the usual name of an object or person. For example: "the flame of the sea" is gold. This technique was often used in Scandinavian riddles.
7. 7 Share your riddle with your friends. The best way to learn about the result of your creative work is to share it with friends and family, and ask them to solve your riddle. Your creative endeavors may encourage those close to you to try their hand at writing riddles.
8. 8 Change the puzzle if necessary. If your friends and family have guessed the riddle right away, you can complicate it a little.If they are having trouble guessing your riddle, you may need to reformulate the wording to make the answer more obvious.

Tips

• Don't worry too much if you can't write a riddle using different stylistic techniques. Remember, riddles should be entertaining and enjoyable! Take your time and enjoy the process.
• Ask a friend for help. If you can't find a topic or a puzzle, ask a friend to help you. It can be an enjoyable pastime!

What do you need

• Paper
• Dictionary of rhymes (optional)
• Thesaurus
• Pen