Palindromes, those mysterious sentences that read the same forward and backward, have fascinated me for years. Before the 2020 pandemic, I had started a coding project to help me write my first palindrome. I finished it near the pandemic peak. I named the first tool a palindromedary. It’s like a thesaurus for palindromists, suggesting words that can expand a nascent palindrome. The second tool is a web form, Palindrome Composer. It uses the palindromedary to speed the task of word discovery. Both tools are on Palindromedary.us. I also wrote two books, one to teach palindrome composition, and another to highlight the work of some wonderful people who decided to give my tools a spin. I write palindrome books under the pen name R. Franklin.
How To Write Great Palindromes
Many people have discovered simple palindromes, like “Stop pots.” Few have embraced palindrome writing and become expert palindromists. This book aims to increase the number of palindromists in the world. Read it here (affiliate link).
Great palindromes are tiny stories. Even a one-sentence palindrome can have character, drama, and enlightenment. It’s all a matter of awareness and intent.
The mental tasks include reversing words, breaking up reversed words and melding the fragments into whole words. Each word must fit the relentless requirement of absolute symmetry. Palindromes exercise your brain and may improve memory.
Beyond the mechanics, exceptional palindromists infuse a theme into each composition. They inject conflict, illuminate the ensuing sparks, and bring the story to a satisfying end.
I assert that anyone can learn these skills, and How To Write Great Palindromes illustrates how (affiliate link).
Cia, So Manic In A Mosaic
I chose the titular palindrome for the cover theme, to make a point. Every palindrome paints a picture and tells a story. This collection tells many stories, thanks to the enthusiastic new palindromists who contributed their compositions. Available at Amazon now (affiliate link).
UK and US authors composed over sixty original palindromic stories for this collection. And they described their inspirations and processes so others can learn. Tales of redemption, body swapping, inexplicable behavior, dark elves, mad dogs, red nuns, and Jedi fill these pages.
When the stories are finished, another thirty palindromes await, in the form of detailed examples of how to create your own compositions. From a single starting word, each example shows step-by-step how to identify places to expand the palindrome, how to scan for matching words, and how word choice influences greatness.
Composing palindromes is unlike any other word game or puzzle. The satisfaction of a well-written palindrome can last a lifetime and change your brain (affiliate link).