The Place For My Writers Notes

Original posting 5 May 2010

or maybe exercise?

Monomane -- comic imitation -- is very popular in Japan now. The man who almost single-handedly instigated the boom in it is called kuroke (pronounced more like the food -- croquette?), but another one was on TV today talking to a group of school children. He gave them three exercises to do, for ten days, and then came back to see how they had done. You might try these, yourself.

1. Imitation repertoire -- look around, and pick something. Now imitate that thing, especially the sound, but also perhaps mannerism. As he explained, you build your imitation repertoire one item at a time, and usually pick out and exaggerate some sound or mannerism from that thing. He gave the example of a cicada -- what's the sound it makes? Kind of a shshsh through your teeth? But it gets bigger and smaller -- so move your lips while whooshing, and there you go...

2. imitation play -- take everyday objects, and let your imagination turn them into other things. As he said, sometimes you have to look from the side to do this, and take two or three looks, but see what you can turn them into. His example was a vacuum cleaner... which became a metal detector as he held it, adding sound effects, and finding a coin with it.

3. Your happiness list -- every day for ten days, write down the most exciting, happy point of the day. Just one point. Something nice happens to you every day -- make a list!

When they came back, the kids showed the results. One showed how an ordinary chair became an old person's push cart, complete with slow, hesitant walk. Another showed how a pencil sharpener became an organ grinder's music box. And so on...

The kids said the happiness lists were fun -- at first, it seemed hard to find something each day, but then they started having too many things each day, and had to pick. Apparently paying attention to happiness and fun and excitement makes it grow!

So -- give yourself a chance. Even in writing, pick out something and imitate it. How can you make us feel the sound of a waterfall -- in writing? Or what about showing us the dashing happy run of a dog across the lawn? Then consider how you might use something as a simile or metaphor, turning it into something else for your reader's mental stimulation? Finally, just for fun, consider writing one short piece about something nice that happened to you today. What happened? How did it make you feel? Can you show other people that feeling of happiness and joy through your writing?

Go ahead. Imitation is the finest flattery, and sometimes it's writing, too.

Original posting: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 20:49:00 -0400

Here we go...

Writing is like sewing empty garments.

Go ahead, explore that relationship, expand that metaphor, ssssssssssssstretch those words!

original posting: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 13:47:58 -0500

Okay, let's try this...

"Lit up like a whorehouse on Saturday night."  Loren D. Estleman, quoted in Falser than a Weeping Crocodile and other similes by Elyse Sommer and Mike Sommer.

There's a fine phrase, talking about something being lit up.  But since we're stretching our writing muscles, let's consider two things.

First, what might you be writing about that would be lit up?  Can you think of a scene that would need some description around how well lit up it is?

Second, of course, let's consider a few variations on that simile.  What would you consider using as a simile to illustrate being lit up?  What does it do if you make it "lit up like a Parisian whorehouse on Saturday night?" Or what about "as dark as a whorehouse on Monday night?"  (er...when's the night off?)

Times Square at the stroke of midnight, Jan. 1?

like a four year old's face when Daddy comes home?

Go ahead, crank out a few similes about being well lit!  And then consider the effect they have on a scene.

If you like, go ahead and write the scene.

Or even the whole tale, if you have the time and the idea.

original posting: Mon, 03 Sep 2001 20:43:00 -0400

Hum...

Maybe


Go ahead, play with that conceptual comparison, let those words writhe and turn, let us hear the rattle play.

"Good morning, daddy!
Ain't you heard
The boogie-woogie rumble
Of a dream deferred?"  Langston Hughes

a dream deferred... and out of its time... tink