Lamplight

How to use Lamplight

Type in one word — even something as plain as “and” — and watch Lamplight turn it into something vivid.

What Lamplight is

Lamplight is a writer’s word desk. You type in a single word, and it shows you fresh ways to use it — how it sounds, how to turn it into an image, and how to swap it for something stronger. Every idea comes ready to copy straight into your writing or save to your Notebook. It’s made for anyone who works with words: students practising creative writing, poets, songwriters, and storytellers of every kind.

The lines and words you save go to your Notebook, up in the top-right corner, ready for you next time you sign in.

Getting started

  1. Create your account, or sign in.

    You’ll need an account so your saved lines stay yours. One sign-in works on any device.

  2. Type in a word, and press the arrow.

    Any word will do — often the best one is a flat or ordinary word from a sentence you’re writing, the one you’d most like to lift. Type it in the box and press the orange arrow.

  3. Choose a technique.

    The techniques sit in three groups — Sound, Figures and Sharpen. Tap any one to see what Lamplight makes of your word, and switch freely between them.

  4. Copy or save what you like.

    Every result has its own Copy button, to paste straight into your writing, and a + Save button, to keep it in your Notebook for later.

  5. Build the best bits back in.

    Drop your favourite line or word into your writing, then try another word. Do this across a paragraph and every sentence starts to shine.

See it in action

Type in a word — even one as small as and — press the arrow, and pick a technique. The techniques sit in three families:

Sound — play with how the word sounds

Rhymes

Words that chime with yours — a spark for a line or an ending.

band · hand · land · grand · stand

Alliteration

Lines where nearby words share the same opening sound.

Assonance

Lines that echo the word’s vowel sound.

Onomatopoeia

Words that sound like the thing they mean — like buzz or crash.

Figures — turn the word into an image

Each result is a full sentence, with its own Copy and + Save buttons.

Personify

Gives the word human life.

“And sighed, tired of holding two griefs together.”

Metaphor

Says the word is something else.

“And is a bridge two lonely thoughts cross safely.”

Simile

Compares it using like or as.

“And sat between us like a bridge over silence.”

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration, for effect.

“One tiny ‘and’ toppled the whole kingdom of silence.”

Sharpen — swap it for a stronger word

Tap a word to copy it, or tap + to save it to your Notebook.

Stronger verbs

Trade a plain word for one with more punch.

join · link · bind · merge

Stronger adjectives

Find a sharper way to describe.

connective · cumulative · additive · binding

These are real results for the word “and” — Lamplight offers fresh options every time, so you can pick the ones that fit your writing.

Your search allowance

Your allowance is counted in searches. Each technique you open — a set of rhymes, a batch of similes, stronger verbs, and so on — uses one search, and ticks your count down by one: 200, 199, 198, and so on. Plot Builder, which writes five story ideas, three openings and a twist in one go, uses two, and turning one into a plot outline uses one more. In Ideas, each Generate (or Generate three more) uses one search. Typing, browsing the Writing Toolkit, and copying, saving or downloading what you’ve already made are free — only producing something new uses a search. Look up as many words as you like; it’s the techniques you generate that count.

How many searches you get

The monthly plan gives you 200 searches a month; the yearly plan gives you 2,400 searches a year. Your remaining count is always on screen, and it resets at the start of each new period.

Run out early? Subscribers can buy a top-up from the desk or the Account page: 200 searches for £4.99, 400 for £9.99 or 600 for £14.99. Top-up searches never expire and are used after your plan’s allowance.

New accounts get 10 free searches to try Lamplight: 3 straight away, and the rest when you confirm your email. They’re a one-off welcome and don’t reset; subscribe whenever you’re ready for more.

Copying or saving ideas you’ve already made costs nothing — so you can revisit your Notebook as often as you like.

Ways to use it

GCSE English Language — Paper 1, Question 5
Question 5 rewards vivid description and well-chosen techniques. Draft your answer, then run your flattest words through Lamplight to find a simile, a metaphor or a stronger verb that lifts the writing. Brilliant for practising at home — it’s for building the skill, not for use in the exam itself.
Poetry
Test an image, chase a rhyme, or shake loose a first draft when the page is blank.
Songwriting
Sketch a verse, find a hook, or try three ways of ending the same line.
Fiction & indie authors
Push through a stuck scene, brainstorm what happens next, and keep your momentum between sessions.
Creative-writing classes
Give the whole room the same word and compare what everyone builds from it — a quick, lively warm-up on figurative language.

Staying private

Keep your private details out of it

You’ll see this reminder under the word box, and it matters: don’t type private information such as your full name, address, phone number, passwords or school login details. Lamplight only ever needs a single ordinary word to work with.

If anything ever makes you uncomfortable, stop and tell a parent, carer or teacher.

Your plan and account

Use the account and billing links at the top of the page to see your plan, switch between the monthly and yearly options, update your payment details, or cancel. If you cancel, you keep your plan until the end of the period you’ve already paid for.

Need a hand?

If something isn’t working, or you’re not sure how to do something, email us at hello@lamplightapp.com and we’ll help.