In the Fearless Writing workshop, we created a list of words and used them in several exercises. It's challenging to work in 35 or so words into something that makes sense and tells a story in 15 minutes or so. In the first few exercises, all my dogs barked and all my shovels dug.
After listening to other folks read, I recognized the limitations of my thinking. If I'm brutally honest with myself, it is one of my great failings as a human being that all too often, I consider my first interpretation of something the only interpretation.
On a chalkboard in my writing space, I wrote "Not all dogs bark." Before I sit down to write each day, I pick a random word and make a list of ways to use it. Not all dogs are canines, and a "bark" isn't always a sound made by a dog. Truly, I am dogged about making my dog-eared lists of doggeral regarding hot-diggity-dogs and their doggone variations.
"Bark" can't make up its mind, either. Sometimes it's candy made with almonds; sometimes it's the action of speaking forcefully; sometimes it's the outer surface of a tree.
5 comments:
I love stopping by here. Your ideas are thought provoking, Jere, and often times cause me to smile.
I love those workshops that help us to see outside of our normally narrow viewpoints. Something about being with other creative people helps get our own juices flowing!
Keep working, girl!
Playing in words, like a giant sandbox, is so much fun. This made me really happy to read.
Fun little post! I really need to take a writing class, but not sure my brain would work as well as yours.
;)
I think you are amazing:D
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