Feeling Inspired by Buffalo Fluffalo

A writing exercise

If you’re not already following Bess Kalb’s brilliant Instagram campaign for Buffalo Fluffalo, go do that now. It is a delight, and it’s nice to see someone having FUN with their marketing.

Bess is having a ball, but what is the book actually about? Well you’re not wrong if you guessed it’s about a fluffy buffalo. Here’s the opening refrain:

I’m the Buffalo Fluffalo
I heave and I huffalo
Leave me alone because
I’ve had enuffalo.

You get it immediately right?

That’s the magic of a refrain. Just like in a song, the refrain gives you a chance to enjoy the main idea again and again as the story unfolds. Young readers especially find this kind of predictable text engaging. And when you know the words well enough to “sing” along, the energy rise, rise, rises, until you can’t wait to see what happens next.

This refrain includes a lot of word play, making it extra fun to read aloud. It opens the book, letting the reader know the rules of the game. The rhythm has the weight of a buffalo’s footsteps. At the same time, it’s clear this is a book that welcomes silliness.

Try This

Brainstorm a list of possible refrains for your WIP. They could be poetic, silly, or onomatopoeiac. You might weave the refrain in (even if it’s prose not rhyming text), or you might just use it as a touchstone to make sure you understand the theme or big idea for your story. The point is to try to boil down your premise into a singsongy, repeatable phrase. Maybe you’ll use it to keep the reader engaged. Or maybe you’ll use it to keep yourself on track as you write.

Let me know if you try it!

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PS—The fastest way to grow as a writer is to book a manuscript critique or a creative coaching session with an expert.

My clients get agents, sell books, and win awards. They also learn how to find ease and joy in the creative process, so they can keep going when life gets hard.