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?
