- The resource set from which the text is composed consists of 1-n books, all having the title “Killing time”.
- Writing proceeds non-linearly, sentences are placed within the text based on resonance. One sentence each from the books in the set make up one full cycle and constitute a paragraph. Re-arrangement of sentences during writing is possible provided that the full cycle of one sentence / clause per book in the set is upheld.
- The set 1-n may be extended by further books having the exact title “Killing time” as they become available. A qualifying subtitle (such as “The autobiography of Paul Feyerabend”) or the upfront label indicating a series (Hawk 4: Killing time) are acceptable, but not titles such as “The killing time”, “Just killing time”, or “Killing times”.
- Once a further book enters the set, it remains in the set and is from then on included in each cycle.
- No sentences other than those taken straight from the set 1-n are introduced.
- Each new cycle through the complete set can run in any order but must use one sentence (or sentence clause) from each book in the set. If cycle p ends with a sentence from book n, the next cycle p+1 can start with another sentence from book n as long as it is not the direct follower of the sentence before.
- In addition to cycling rules, sentences (or clauses of complex sentences) can only be used as often as they appear as instances in the set. Each use in the text reduces by 1 the number of instances in the set.
- Male first names can be replaced by other male first names, female first names by other female first names. Surnames can be replaced with other surnames.
- ‘He’ and ‘his’ may be replaced by ‘she’ and ‘her’, and vice versa.
- A sub-clause of a sentence can be used as sentence as long as it constitutes a grammatical sentence or a valid clause in combination with another clause already in the text. With the exception of the name and personal pronoun replacement rules defined in (8) and (9), it is not permitted to abbreviate or edit clauses. For example, given the sentence “Paul sleeps soundly on the sofa while his father does the washing up”, it is OK to use “Eric sleeps soundly on the sofa” but not “Paul sleeps soundly” or “Eric sleeps”.
- Unused clauses in complex sentences another clause of which has already been used, may be used at a later time provided that the clause can stand on its own or alternatively, can be grammatically connected to a clause in the text.