Free to Imagine--August Theme by Deborah Lytton
To me, the greatest freedom comes from using my imagination. I can create entire worlds filled with characters that inspire and challenge me. I can escape or stay exactly where I am. Sometimes, I might only have a few moments to write--and I have to make the most of the time I have. The best way to do this is to connect with my imagination quickly. Here are some writing exercises to help you set your imagination free:
1. Smell the roses. What would you hear, see, smell, touch or taste inside your imaginary world? Write a paragraph describing things only through the five senses. Connecting with the tangible allows inner truth to find its way to the page.
2. Step through the mirror. What colors are present in your world? Can you describe them in words no one has ever used to describe those colors? Allow yourself to visualize your imaginary world as if you could step right into it.
3. Listen with your heart. Hear your characters speak to you. What do they say? Write down their words, even if they don't fit into your story. Sometimes my characters have things to say that surprise me.
4. Silence is the key. Sometimes the best journey to freedom is through a moment of complete quiet. Turn off all the sounds in the room and close your eyes. Now your imagination can soar. Where will you go?
5. Stepping off the path. Free yourself to make mistakes. Give yourself the chance to write what is in your heart, even if it doesn't make any sense at all. Release all your expectations like a feather on the wind. Let your work find its own way.
Let me know if your imagination surprises you. Mine does every day!
1. Smell the roses. What would you hear, see, smell, touch or taste inside your imaginary world? Write a paragraph describing things only through the five senses. Connecting with the tangible allows inner truth to find its way to the page.
2. Step through the mirror. What colors are present in your world? Can you describe them in words no one has ever used to describe those colors? Allow yourself to visualize your imaginary world as if you could step right into it.
3. Listen with your heart. Hear your characters speak to you. What do they say? Write down their words, even if they don't fit into your story. Sometimes my characters have things to say that surprise me.
4. Silence is the key. Sometimes the best journey to freedom is through a moment of complete quiet. Turn off all the sounds in the room and close your eyes. Now your imagination can soar. Where will you go?
5. Stepping off the path. Free yourself to make mistakes. Give yourself the chance to write what is in your heart, even if it doesn't make any sense at all. Release all your expectations like a feather on the wind. Let your work find its own way.
Let me know if your imagination surprises you. Mine does every day!
Great exercises for kickstarting the imagination. I really like the smell/taste one. Smells and tastes are so much a part of childhood memory. Mom's cooking, the salty tang of the bay, suntan lotion, cut grass...all the scents that make summer and childhood return, even in the dead of winter. Thanks Deborah.
ReplyDeleteSilence (or at least relative quiet) is big for me. I usually have to get away from the TV to write.
ReplyDelete