Finding the Heat
We all have stories inside us. Big stories. Lots of characters, important settings, loaded dialogue, objects that hold meaning, and winding plots. Whether from memory or imagination, the natural question is: Where to begin? For many writers, logic says: Start at the beginning. Which would make wonderful sense if we were writing a chronology of a life, or an historical reporting of events. But we’re writing something from deep inside us. So where does it make sense to touch down on the page? My experience with both my own writing and in working with other writers is to ask: Where’s the heat? What scene rises up out of all the others and lays itself open for you to enter and become immersed? When that moment shows itself, start there. Then notice the sounds, the quality of air and light, the movement or stillness, the furniture or trees. How are the characters positioned, do they have anything in their hands? What are they doing? How do their bodies tell you what is happening to them? Listen carefully. What are they saying? Be a faithful scribe and write down exactly what you witness. Don’t intrude, don’t expect, don’t assume. You will vanish from the room where your hands spell out words. You will live in that moment, in that place and encounter what your characters experience and feel. You will sidestep logic and embrace the creative genius that our senses offer us. Your scene will have life and be a more accurate depiction of what you set out to write. Don’t worry if the scene that unfolds is the very heart of the story. Of course it is. It’s where we, as writers, most want to exist. Once the scene is written, you can backtrack, go sideways and forward, always asking the same question: Where is the heat? The next scene and the next and the next after that will show themselves. Then, like beautifully crafted puzzle pieces, you will be able to fit them together in the order the story needs. You will have given yourself possibilities for a uniquely constructed tale.
In these days of confessed gratitude, I have an embarrassment of riches: You. All of you who have written with me, who seek out my writing company and who read my thoughts on how we approach our work, share something better than a best seller. Thank you for your genius, your playfulness, and your courageous vulnerability. I am always and ever humbled.
Yours, Maureen
Upcoming Events
Malibu Retreat: February 4 – 7, 2019 Join me for a spacious and inspiring four days of writing deep within your imagination and memory. https://www.writingfulltilt.com/retreats/
Tuesday Afternoon Workshops: January 7 – March 11, 2019 Write with a group of writers who offer respect and invite adventure. https://www.writingfulltilt.com/workshops/
Winter OnLine Workshops: January 8 – March 18, 2019. Snowed in? Too cold? Write in the coziness of your own home, in your slippers. https://www.writingfulltilt.com/online-workshop/
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