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Listen to the audio from today's life writing session:
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Today’s prompt as we prepare for the lesson and to write: "I remember when I (we) _____________ and saw (felt, heard, touched, smelled, tasted)....
Don't you love discovering a new method of
something-or-other and then applying it in an
assortment of different ways? I know I do – which
is why I want to share with you this idea which you
can then take to apply to awakening yourself to
every moment in YOUR life as I did in mine.
I read a book created especially for fiction
writers titled "The 3 A.M. Epiphany" by Brian
Kitely.
I took an idea Mr. Kitely wrote which was
originally meant to flesh out a fiction-work-in-progress
and tweaked it first for actors in "5 Women Wearing
the Same Dress" to develop their characters and
then I used it once again to be more alive to the
images which float into my life as a writer.
I see countless applications for anyone choosing
to be a deeper witness of life: it helped me to
remember the specifics of "what happened" which
will help writers of any genre - and then I can
plug those tasty specifics into any writing at
any time OR allow those specifics to be
seed starters and prompts for those times
I have the (mistaken) belief I don't have
anything to write.
I simply wrote a sentence as a seed-starter and
then allowed the memories and images to flow – they
won't necessarily make sense to you, I simply wanted
you to see how simple it is to put into play.
"Emma and I walked along the path slowly, feeling
our smallness amidst the enormity that surrounded us.
During our trip to Wupatki, we experienced:
1. The crispness of the air
2. The red lava residue
3. The black lava residue
4. the complexity of the Native Structure
5. my father's passion for the Native Structure
6. Emma's memory of the Sardine Can
7. The poetry flowing
8. The view
9. My prickly face
10. The young woman volunteer
11. The older woman full body description
12. Sam's camera improve
13. Seeing through and with Sam's eyues
14. Katherine's peaceful appraisal
15. 16 years? 16 years!
16. Sheer beauty
17. How did I not see it?
18. Speed policing self
19. Peace all pervasive
20. Familiarity
21. Emma's earthquake
22. hands on nature
23. trust
24. no cell phone
25. Sam in front
26. Open windows, so cold
27. trees amidst lava
28. frozen lava
29. Ugh Ugh family
30. Men's room with Sam
31. Unconventional Parenting
32. Butterflies
33. Silence
34. Where are the birds?
35. Gentle smell
36. Empty roads, long stretching
37. Motorcycles
38. Gold Wing is in my way
39. No crossing out
40. Painted Desert
41. Marlena
42. Bianca
43. Art
44. Artist's choices
45. Improvving life
46. License
47. Contentment
48. Holding Hands
49. Katherine is so grown up
50. Sam's shoes
51. Sam's running
52. Sam's "Say Cheese"
53. Sam's nap amidst grandeur
54. Haiku Moments
55. Wish for a camera
56. Knowing all is well
57. Commitment to returning
And then my list stopped. I am guessing someone
interrupted me with a question or a challenge or
something which took away my train of thought.
I wrote underneath the unfinished list, "Stepping back
into the flow is more difficult than just beginning again."
I wonder what I meant by that last statement and I wonder
what made me write it? What was the perceived difference
between stepping back in versus just starting again?
What is exciting about this now is it really doesn't
matter – instead of following that thread of questioning,
I will instead choose to write from my initial awakening
so that you can see how you can follow up
from your lists.
#30 – Men's Room with Sam
Sam will not use public women's rooms anymore.
He insists he is a boy, he needs the boys room. Mommy,
Kathie and Emma are girls and we use the girls room.
He recognizes the symbols so don't even think of
dragging him into the opposite restroom.
Besides, one of his purest joys is using the urinal
and we females don't have those in our public restrooms.
This would all be fine and dandy if it wasn't for
the remainder of the rest room ritual. You see,
after he uses the urinal, he gets soap, washes
his hands and dries them… and most restrooms
are not built with a four-year-old's height in mind.
Inevitably I hear a voice bark from the men's room,
"MOM!" and so it continues until I scamper into the
restroom to help him out. I have apologized more
times than you know. Sometimes the men
get really mad at me.
In Kingman, Arizona I was ready for the state
police to come after me at the Super Wal-mart.
Note to Super Wal-mart Restroom engineers. Automatic
stuff doesn't work when you are the size of even a
large four year old.
The Ugh-Ugh family at Wupatki didn't appreciate my
visit to the men's room with Sam. One of the children
indignantly stated (within ear shot of Emma) "She should
make him go to the girl's room!"
Ha!
#38. Gold Wing is in the Way.
I turned the rental car back and forth, attempting to
move out of the way of the Gold Wing. Oh, a Gold Wing.
It is a beautiful machine, one which I have lusted after
for a long time. It reminds me of riding
a love-seat-turned-sideways.
I would settle for a sportier Buell Blast, in purple of
course, but a Gold Wing, even blocking my path, brings
me simple joy and longing.
My wistful facial expression must have made
the owner snap out of his site-seeing reverie
because he came and moved his motorcycle
and I no longer had a choice. I had to go forward,
leaving my Gold Wing dream behind.
= + = + = +
Now it is your turn –
Write a list of images from a memorable day
in your recent past. We will take about a minute
to do this, after taking a moment or two to settle
in and remember that day and allow the images
to return to your recollection.
Start the list with "I remember when we
_____________, I saw (heart, felt, heard, touched,
experienced)
Take a moment to look over your list and chose the
three which most call to you.
Next, create a vignette or "word snapshot" starting
with "I remember when we _________ and I _______"
Take five minutes to write without stopping and if
you do slow down, plug in the next memory and
see how deeply you can take this.
Enjoy what unfolds!
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