Prepared by: Rhéal Nadeau
Posted on: Sun, 4 Nov 2001
Reposted on: Sat, 6 Nov 2004
This is the fourth "Remembering" exercise.
(You can find the previous exercises at
http://www.internetwritingworkshop.org/pwarchive/topics.shtml#remember
)
The point of these exercises is to learn
to draw from our own
experiences - our
most elemental resource as writers. By remembering key moments, special
feelings or moments, in our lives, we are better able to describe what
our
characters are dealing with.
For example, I will never, I hope, be
chased through a jungle by a
predator -
but I have been terrified when chased by a neighbourhood dog. The
experiences
were different, but the fears have much in common. (And I can also
remember
how, after the fact, I wished I *had* dealt with the situation - I can
give my
protagonist stronger nerves to deal with the threat.)
I will never win an Olympic gold medal -
but if I remember the
feeling of doing
well in a local competition, I can imagine what that must feel like.
In the previous weeks, we have dealt with
serious topics: beauty,
fear, peace.
This week, I'd like us to focus on something less dramatic, but no less
important. This week, we are to remember a moment when we had fun - be
it as a
child playing a game, or as a grown-up in a relaxed moment. Think back
to an
enjoyable moment or activity, then tell us about it.
Be honest, don't embelish. On the other
hand, remember to use strong
words, to
involve the senses, so others can share the experience.
Every week, the exercise says to "Have
fun" - that is truer than
ever this
week! Fun is not abstract, not fancy; fun comes from relaxing and
living in the
moment. So relive that moment (doing so can only help us all as
writers!) And
don't worry too much about definitions - if the memory brings a smile
to your
lips, then it surely meets the standard of "fun"!
So, to summarize the exercise: in 300
words or less, describe a fun
moment in
your life.
The current and previous exercises are
archived at:
http://www.internetwritingworkshop.org/pwarchive/index.shtml
Have fun!
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Gayle Surrette.