GET PHYSICAL, MATEY!
This morning I felt the storm brewing … in my knee. Yes, I was once a sea-faring scoundrel, seeking out rum and no good pirating crimes on the ocean waves with fellow scalawags. Well, actually, I guess as a land-bound New Yorker that’s not exactly true. But, I did feel some sort of pressure in my knee this morning and it did give me a visceral sense of wet weather headed this way. And this strange ache in my knee drew me instantly to the page. Like many of you, and many of my writing clients, I have moments these days when it is very hard to sit down and write. There is so much to worry about in this world; the times are very precarious and everyone’s a little on edge, even with the big O (not Oprah, the other O) in office. But somehow, I have found, to focus on the physical world (starting with one’s own body, and then spreading out to the world beyond), is very grounding and productive, for writers. It’s very mood-elevating too in these worrisome times. There is so much we don’t have control over, but we can control this … (read on, mates):
1. Take 20 minutes, as soon as possible …TODAY to sit down and write.
2. First Five minutes: Focus on the physical. What part of your body is “speaking” to you? See if you can describe the physical sensations in as much detail as possible. One paragraph that encapsulates the tangible experience.
3. Next fifteen minutes: Use what you just wrote as a jumping off point or “way in” to a scene in your current writing project. If you are stuck, then start something new; the only requirement is to find some sort of link between what you just wrote and the new piece you are beginning.
4. Pass this along to someone you know. I am a writer myself, I coach, teach and edit writers and I know what a tortured bunch this clan seems to be! You will be doing a great mitzvah (good deed, dudes) if you help a stuck, surly or bored writer to get out of his/her head and onto the page…through the body.
Keep on trekkin’!
And let me know how it goes.
--Jill “Bang the Keys” Dearman.
www.bangthekeys.com
5 comments:
My mind is playing tricks on me this week. I have really been in the mood to paint, and not so much to write.
So I keep going to the studio to paint, only each time thinking of something I need to write down, right away before I forget.
I like it when the writing forces its way on you.
I like the idea of being stalked by one's own writing :-)
I like the idea of describing your own physical state, very good practice for describing a character's feelings. For a guy like me who always has an ache or pain, perfect.
Arr, me hearty, this be a grand ole plan … I actually know that ache too--post ACL reconstruction surgery over here. Unfortunately, my knee problems aren't quite over so when I sit down to write, I'm uncomfortable a lot of the time. But, I focus on ignoring the aches and pains. I really liked this exorcise because first, even your BFF is going to get tired of hearing you complain about your knee pain BUT…you can bitch all you want on paper. It's a bit cathartic and certainly, like you said, grounding. This exorcise helped me empathize better with my character (instead of just sympathizing) to get into the scene and into his head. One of my characters is dealing with a recent arm amputation, not quite the same as an ACL injury, but surely some shared or common miseries. This helped me dig a little deeper into my character's head and the deeper we get, the more real and three-dimensional our characters become to the reader. Thanks, Jill.
Good for you! Use zee pain ... (even if it's a different limb), and doll I understand the ACL recovery thing -- I've got it too. Tennis anyone? Back in the game! Keep writing, Jones! (And keep up your writing jones...)
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