eggtimers?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting: Fri, 5 May 1995 11:25:53 EDT

I realize that most of the time, we like to consider carefully, give ourselves plenty of time, and otherwise move slowly. (something like a tortoise?)

BUT--today we're going to practice speedwriting!

A ten minute exercise! Anyone can squeeze in ten minutes, right?

Get yourself a three minute timer. Eggtimers, a friend, perhaps even that funny timer on your watch that you've never used.

Oh, and don't forget the die (the singular of dice, like nye is the singular of nice:-)

A. Roll twice, picking a first and last name.

1. Arlene 2. Gina 3. Laura 4. Boris 5. Felix 6. Isaac

1. Smith 2. Johnson 3. Williams 4. Jones 5. Brown 6. Miller

Write for three minutes about this person. Where did they grow up? What kind of family? What kind of work do they do now? Write!

1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9......

BUZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Time's up.

Settle down. Put that description aside, take a sip of your water (coffee, tea, or...your choice).

Ready? Okay.

B. Roll twice, picking a first and last name.

1. Lee 2. Noah 3. Ralph 4. Vicki 5. Portia 6. Muriel

1. Davis 2. Anderson 3. Wilson 4. Thompson 5. Moore 6. Taylor

And, once again, write for three minutes. Where did this person come from, and where are they going? What kind of face do they see when they look in the mirror? Who are they?

1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9....

RINGGGGG!

Time's up, please put down your keyboards and other input devices.

Breath, breath, stretch. You may want to print the descriptions or at least review the two pieces you've written.

C. Okay, now take these two people and bang them together!

In three minutes, write a scene where they meet. What do they say to each other? What kind of conflict might occur just from their backgrounds? What kind of "bond" or "crucible" where they have to deal with each other might occur? Write!

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9...

BONG. BONG. BONG.

They said it couldn't be done. But here you are, running those little fingers right over the finish line, with the crowd cheering, the tape snapping across your chest, the coach throwing a towel over your sweating wrists.

Relax. You may want to set this aside and later come back to it. If you want to continue the scene now, go ahead, but do plan to revise and strengthen the piece you've written, looking for spots where (in the heat of the exercise!) you may have told rather than shown the reader, senses that didn't get touched, and other details to polish.

So, champ, what's next? Another 10 minute exercise? (imagine doing three scenes in the half-hour after lunch :-) A bit slower pace? Some thoughtful revision of the quick draft you've just written?

Windsprints for the mental fingers--alternate with some endurance runs, a little weightlifting, and in no time at all, you'll be pushing words with the best.

Look forward to reading you.

Another Fine Mess...

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting: Fri, 28 Apr 1995 15:58:59 EDT

Die ready?

Pick a character or two. Contemplate a scene of your choosing?
and...

Roll.

1. "If only one could tell true love from false love as one can tell mushrooms from toadstools." Katherine Mansfield

2. "Manana is often the busiest day of the week." Spanish proverb

3. "You can't depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus." Mark Twain

4. "To see what is in front of one's nose requires a constant struggle." George Orwell

5. "Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom." Gen. George Patton

6. "History is a better guide than good intentions." Jeane Kirkpatrick

Your character, in whatever scene you like, is about to run into the LITERAL interpretation of these wonderful statements.

E.g., in the scene:

1. true love and false love CAN be told apart in exactly the same physical way you tell mushrooms from toadstools.

2. Manana IS the busiest day of the week, don't try to go shopping!

3. Your character's imagination IS out of focus--all fuzzy! (go ahead and try to adjust the focus. make my story...:-)

4. Your character is trying, valiantly, to see what is literally in front of their nose.

5. Your character is going to hit bottom--and check their success by how high they bounce! (you want to have a whole division jump? and get their annual reviews based on how high they bounce? sure...you mind explaining that?)

6. Your character may have a strange tour, being led by those two fine guides, History and Good Intentions...don't forget to tip them appropriately, okay? (what kind of nose does History have?)

Walk us through these literal events, and make those scenes breath.

Words for the poor? Spare words for the poor?

(oh, go ahead, give 'em a dictionary. throw a thesaurus in the cup, too! after all, gov', you've got a pretty encyclopedia full of words, ain'tcha? I've seen you lay down a week's worth of words on the turn of a die, so give 'em a thrill and show 'em your dictionary...OED, ain't it? :)

*words UP! so hang ten!*