How to Write Hollywood Sijo

The Hollywood Sijo is a poetry form invented by Sam Kilkenny. It is based on the traditional sijo. Sijo is a traditional Korean form of poetry that dates back centuries and is still popular today. It is composed of three lines of 14-16 syllables each, and often has a theme of nature, love, or humor. Korean sijo is often described as a three-act poem. The first line develops or establishes a theme, the second line expands on that theme, and the third line reveals a twist or resolution. The Hollywood Sijo is incredibly similar in concept. 

Rules of Hollywood Sijo  

1. It is a poem of 5 lines
2. Each line has 14-16 syllables
3. The poem follows a three-act structure 
4. The first line or two introduces a situation or problem
5. The middle lines involve a confrontation with the situation
6. The final line or lines resolve these tensions 

In a traditional three-line Sijo, the first line introduces an idea or story, the second supplies a “turn,” and the third provides closure. This version gives you a couple more lines to expand on the plot. Narrative poems are fun, especially ones that end with a twist, or closure. Use this expanded form to flesh out your stories and poems! 

Examples of Hollywood Sijo

In the age of dinosaurs, one man stands alone among them
Fields of verdure vegetation, and fire-red sunlight
The time traveler aims the chrome to the heavens, praying
The Meteor Kaleidoscope, from the year 2095
Dinosaurs eat unaware. In the sky, a comet waves goodbye
— Corey Bryan

My family is pretty traditional, we have just one
head of household who barks orders with authority.
It certainly isn’t my mom, she’s too sweet  and timid
but wait! It isn’t my dad either—too scared of Mom.
Our dog, Annie, barks and begs until she has all our attention.
— Corey Bryan

Hollywood Sijo Writing Prompts

Prompt 1 – At Sea

It might not be enough room to write Moby Dick, but you’ve got five lines to craft a movie pitch about the sea!

Example:

The turn of the 20th Century, the banana trade is
worth billions. Steel hulls transport bushels out of Central America.
Bananas unloaded in America, replaced by guns and men
The sovereign nation of Honduras cut deals with the wrong company
The U.S. Navy is launched. So begins the Banana Wars.

Prompt 2 – Time Travel is Real Now

A lot of people say they would go change the past if they had a time machine. A lot of people might consider seeing what the future is like. What would you do?

Example:

In the age of dinosaurs, one man stands alone among them
Fields of verdure vegetation, and fire-red sunlight
The time traveler aims the chrome to the heavens, praying
The Meteor Kaleidoscope, from the year 2095
Dinosaurs eat unaware. In the sky, a comet waves goodbye

Prompt 3 – A Date With a Twist

One signature part of traditional sijo is a twist in the last line. In this form, you have four lines instead of two to build suspense. Write a poem about a date with a twist!

Example:

There’s a bomb beneath the table, it’s ticking away, tick-tock
tick-tock. “I haven’t been bowling in years,” she says.
“Maybe we should go together?” “I’d like that, I said. Tick-tock,
tick-tock. She smiled as she sipped her water. God, that smile.
Boom! The bomb goes off—her hand finds mine beneath the table.

Prompt 4 – Growing Up

When I was younger, I always thought golfing was going to be so revelational experience, the way my father talked about it. Write about something you thought was going to be amazing when you grew up and wasn’t, or about something you thought would be horrible and wasn’t! 

Example:

School was always a challenge for me when I was growing up
Not the academic part, it was the time commitment
Only 3 months off for summer? I can’t wait to be an adult
Then I’ll be able to take off as much time as I want
Yeah…. Yeah I know I actually thought that as a kid. HA-HA

Prompt 5 – This Job is Not What I Thought

You just got a job, whether it’s your dream job or not is up to you, and it did not pan out the way you thought it would! Write a Hollywood Sijo about a job that doesn’t go the way you planned.

Example:

It’s a job I never wanted, but I’ve got to pay the bills
So I swallowed pride, hopped in my ride and took the interview
I walked into the DMV, they took me ‘round the counter,
No wonder nothing moves too fast here, they sure knew how to live.
They replaced tables, chairs, and pens with a brand-new office ball-pit!

Prompt 6 – Modern Family

Everyone has a crazy family in their own way. Write a Hollywood Sijo about crazy family dynamics or events.

Example:

My family is pretty traditional, we have just one
head of household who barks orders with authority.
It certainly isn’t my mom, she’s too sweet and timid
but wait! It isn’t my dad either—too scared of Mom.
Our dog, Annie, barks and begs until she has all our attention.

Prompt 7 – Bank Heist

It’s simply an all time classic script. There are a million different takes on the bank heist, but no  one has heard yours yet. Write a Hollywood Sijo about a bank heist!

Example:

Jim set his shovel down with a thud, exhausted he says
“I thought you meant a bank with money! Not whatever this is.”
The river is cool blue, the muddy river bank is a deep brown.
“Sometimes the real treasure is the friends we make along the way.”
“You suck.” Clink! Jim’s eyes widen at the sound of shovel on gold.