Scales for Writers

by Linda Rodriguez

Pianists know they must practice every day, playing scales and various exercises that stretch the fingers and give them the flexibility and dexterity that they will need to play complicated compositions. Long ago, I read in one of Madeleine L'Engle's wonderful journals of life and writing about this need for writers.

“Nobody can teach creative writing–run like mad from anybody who thinks he can. But one can teach practices, like finger exercises on the piano; one can share the tools of the trade, and what one has gleaned from the great writers: it is the great writers themselves who do the teaching.” –A Circle of Quiet

For years now, I've created my own finger exercises, as well as borrowing from other writers who've written books about writing, and used them in my journals. I turn to these when I have only tiny stolen moments to write, such as while waiting for a doctor/mechanic/meeting, or when I find myself facing resistance on my current project, or when I've finished one thing and don't know what to work on next (this rarely happens to me anymore since I always have a long list of projects to tend to). Here are a few of the ones I've found most helpful.

Invent a character. I do this when in a public place, such as that doctor's office. Choose a stranger and invent an entire backstory, personality, name, and occupation for that person. If you have plenty of time, go on to put them in dialogue with someone.

Describe a person or a scene in detail using only metaphors.

Describe a scene through a character's consciousness, using all five senses but not one sense verb (“saw,” “smelled,” “heard,” “felt,” or “tasted”). Extend this by also omitting any pronoun referring to your viewpoint character (such as “he,” “him,” or “his”).

Write an action scene entirely in short, quick sentences to give a sense of a fast pace. Then, write it again in a few long, involved sentences so that the action builds in a reckless, headlong pace.

Write a paragraph or a scene entirely in simple, plain words that come from Anglo-Saxon (such as “walk,” “yearly,” “leaf”). Then, rewrite it entirely in Latinate words (such as “amble,” “annual,” or“foliage”), and notice the change in pace and tone.

Describe a landscape or the decoration of a room without using any color names.

Write a scene in dialogue between two people who want opposing things and who are hearing only what they want to hear and speaking to that, as if it had actually been said, instead of what the other person is saying.

Write a scene where one person in a marriage is afraid the other is having an affair while the other is actually afraid they have cancer and keeping their medical appointments secret. Each of them is trying to appear as if nothing is wrong and cannot tell the other what they're afraid of.

Describe yourself, using only specific objects or sayings and songs from your past. Do this now with a fictional character.

As you can see, I could go on and on with these writers' finger exercises, and I have through the years. They're a part of the way I keep my writing brain nimble and dexterous and develop my skills. I have used them in teaching creative writing classes, as well, and the students have found them helpful. Give them a try, and then invent your own.

Do you ever practice your writing, other than work on your current project?