Today we'll be building our wordbank not based on the thesaurus but with a rhymebank. I have a little system I like to use, where I write the alphabet very small in the top corner of the paper and then use that as I'm going through trying to think of rhymes. I feel that testing your vocabulary by thinking of rhyming words before addressing the rhyming dictionary is important, because it not only does it remind you of little used words that you had heard a few times, it reminds you of familiar words which are just not the average word choice for normal speech.
1) Look back through your previous wordbanks and pick out a three to five words. If you're just starting the wordbank, look through the past wordbank labelled posts and browse the linked thesaurus pages to find the 3-5 interesting words.
2) Try to think of all the words that rhyme with each word. Remember, as you're going alphabetically through, to include consonant blends such as cl, str, and th among others. Slant or near rhymes are good too. Once you've exhausted your known words, add a couple more to your list from a rhyming dictionary. Don't write everything, but when you find a new word you like, be sure to look it up and learn it well.
3) If you have time, read the poem "Teaching Slant Rhyme" by from Rattle #35 by Leah Nielson because it's a good poem, accessible, and it is very important to the writing process that you are also reading, specifically reading contemporary works, but reading any literature will do the trick of keeping your mind on words.
