Book 
Reprocessing Machine #5

A game about turning old books 
into new poems.

by https://twitter.com/hellotenbear


Book Reprocessing Machine #5
is inspired by blackout poems, which literally black out every word on a page other than those selected.

This game uses that same concept of using a set collection of words as the only ones available to craft your poem. 

WORD COLLECTION
Build a collection of 50 words to use in writing your poem.

To begin, pick a book to run through Book Reprocessing Machine #5. A sample game will be shown using a book by Maurice Leblanc, The Secret Tomb.

You also need five six-sided dice, and a way to keep track of 50 words.


Roll five six-sided dice, add up the total, and go to that chapter in your book. If there aren’t enough chapters in the book, go to the last chapter.

Roll again, and go that many pages deep from the chapter start.

Roll again and count that many words from the first word on the page. 

Record the word on a list. Repeat from the second step over and over until you’ve filled your collection of 50 words.


REPROCESSING
Write a poem on any topic other than the one your book is about.

Only use the words in your list, and only use each word once. 

When you finish your poem, bask in the glory of it. You did it, you won!


SAMPLE GAME
This sample game uses a book from the public domain written by French novelist Maurice Leblanc called The Secret Tomb.

Words from Chapter 17 
The Secret Perishes
ardor, quickly, take, part, in, only, moment, with, they, caravan

Words from Chapter 5
“We Will Help You”
us, more, wished, wrote, remained, months, chance, amazed, step, of

Words from Chapter 13
Lazarus
lowered, receive, quite, asked, this, secret, struck, give, belongs, perform

Words from Chapter 7
The Hour Draws Near
conceal, distant, brought, stages, not, vigor, lake, took, baron, found

Words from Chapter 10
Towards the Golden Fleece
fell, hour, shelter, box, last, factory, healed, always, took, certain


SAMPLE WORDS
ardor, quickly, take, part, in, only, moment, with, they, caravan, us, more, wished, wrote, remained, months, chance, amazed, step, of, lowered, receive, quite, asked, this, secret, struck, give, belongs, perform, conceal, distant, brought, stages, not, vigor, lake, took, baron, found, fell, hour, shelter, box, last, factory, healed, always, took, certain


NEW POEM
last caravan fell
they took us
chance struck
step quickly with ardor
always conceal
shelter not certain
only this moment belongs

take part, give more
wrote “factory vigor”
asked secret in stages
perform baron, receive box
found lake, distant hour
healed