Readers
want to have a body experience more than a brain experience. Dramatize
intellectual processes through character action. Describing your body shows its
connection to the setting.
Imagine
that your body is underwater. Describe what each part of your body feels from
your toes to the top of your head. Note how your body interacts with the water.
Don’t use the word “feel.”
GOALS of
Writing from Inside the Body: 1) Develop a mindful awareness of how your body
is feeling in every situation. Motion/emotion; Action/reaction. 2) Lookout for
fresh new ways of describing how your body moves and feels. 3) Break the habit
of analytical telling how your character feels.
Sharpen your reactions. For instance, smell is the most overlooked
sense in writing. Smells are wrapped up in mood, memory, and emotions. She said
of all of the senses, smell has the shortest path to the brain. Pay attention
to what you smell and how it affects you.
Exercise: Imagine sharpening pencils. What does it smell like?
What does it remind you of? You might begin to question: How are pencils made?
Who came up with them?
Her emphasis was on tuning into sensory details so we can create
better moods and settings for our stories. We want to write in such a way that
our readers empathize with our characters.
Descriptive
words related to the body: Skin: soft, wrinkles, veiny hands, calloused
Temperature: sticky clothes, breeze tickling our arms Fluids: sweat, tears,
blood Sickness: fever, queasiness
Physical/Emotional Pain: throbbing, drumming, cramping. Both types
are managed in the same place in the brain—prolonged emotional pain brings
actual physical pain. Manifest emotional pain with bodily symptoms.
Picture a character in your WIP. Observe her body language. Act
out her actions. Avoid thoughts about thoughts. Don’t label emotions. Stop talking
and show blood! Don’t diagnose your characters.
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