The Non-writing Warm Up - Freethinking

This week we will continue to explore freewriting exercises through the art of freethinking. Freethinking, or observation, is the cornerstone of writing; if a writer lacks the ability to effectively communicate the senses, the reader is left feeling distanced from the work. Some of the following can be used as mental exercises or written ones.

Observation Exercise One
Objective: To develop your powers of observation

Visual 1:
Whenever you’re in a crowd of people, such as in a shopping mall, choose a person that you see sitting quietly in the food court, sipping his or her coffee. Study that person for a full minute. After your time is up, turn away and recall as many details about the person as you can remember: hair color, eye color, type and color of complexion, clothing, expression, position of body, arms and legs and so on. You only have three minutes, so be quick about it. Check yourself to see what you remembered and what you neglected or forgot. Remember, be discreet in your observations. The person should never know you’re even watching.

Visual 2:
Colors play an important role in providing details in fiction. With that in mind, while you’re sat at the mall, choose a store window or any other setting and think about the many colors that you are seeing. Don’t just see them, experience them; capture their shades, their essence. Notice nuances in shades. Brown, for example, might be chocolate, mahogany, chestnut, coffee, caramel, tan, beige, fawn, parchment, honey-brown, bronze or copper, plus many more.

Observation Exercise Two
Objective: To develop your powers of observation

Auditory:
Capturing sound in a novel adds dimension to your writing. Learning to render sound is difficult and will take practice. First ask yourself how skilled are you at observing and recording sound? To find out, keep a sound journal for a couple of days. Record the sounds you hear form morning to evening. The catch in this exercise is that you are not to write down the source of any sound. If you hear the sound of a lawnmower, a woodpecker, a dog, a thunderstorm, or radio static, write the word or words that describe the sound. For example, the lawnmower might be roaring or purring; the woodpecker drilling, pecking or tapping; the dog barking, howling, growling, whining, yapping, yipping or squealing; the storm rumbling, cracking, or drumming; the static crackling or snapping. Remember, do not name the source. Give only the sound. The next morning, pick up your journal and try to identify the source of each sound.

Observation Exercise Three
Objective: To develop your powers of observation

Feel, Taste, Touch:
This exercise is best suited for the privacy of your home. The object of the exercise is to help your concentrate on your other senses, to help you observe, remember and write about objects. Choose a nice ripe piece of fruit, container of yogurt or a piece of rich chocolate cake. Touch it with your fingers. If feasible, gently roll or spread it over your hands or face. Feel it. Observe the texture, the temperature, the softness. Now smell it. Give it a good sniff. How does this smell affect you? Does the chocolate cake remind you of your grandmother’s house, the apple of an autumn day, the yogurt of the many diets you have been on? Finally, taste the food. Is it hot, cold, sweet, tart, fresh? Does the taste remind you of other tastes? What memories are being triggered?

After you have finished your warm-up exercises, you will realize that you can and do accomplish the goals you set for yourself. You now understand that, through practice and repetition, your skills will grow stronger. As you grow more confident, you will discover that you do indeed have much to offer as a writer.

For more helpful tips and exercises, visit www.sterlinghouse-bookstore.com and check out:
Writing Aerobics I by C. Sterling and M. Davidson

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