Instructions for Undoing a Sunset
Write an impossible instruction manual by reversing a familiar event.
- 5–15 minutes
- No setup
- Easy to pause
- Seated friendly
- No cleanup
- Very low effort
What you need
Pick a simple event such as sunset, rain, or a cup of tea cooling. The instructions can be poetic rather than logical.
- paper
- pen
Make it
Pick a simple event such as sunset, rain, or a cup of tea cooling. The instructions can be poetic rather than logical.
- 1
Choose the event and imagine its final state.
- 2
Write three instructions that work backward, such as Gather the last orange from the windows or Fold the shadows away.
- 3
Read the instructions as a short poem and give the manual a title.
Short on energy? Write one instruction for returning a single ray of light.
A good place to stop: Three impossible instructions finish the poem.
Make it work for you: Speak the instructions instead of writing. Choose a familiar everyday event if a large scene is hard to picture.
Another route: Reverse a noisy event and make each instruction quieter.