Slice of Life Story Challenge Day 18 =The Wonder of Words

Author, Annie Dillard says she has to maintain in her head a running description of the present. She needs to call to attention what passes before her. I fully understand how important this rehearsal is to a writer. I am continually in the grip of word storms. They bounce around in my head. Phrases and ideas form and reform continually as I go about this critical pre-writing phase. Much of this word play remains invisible until it is ready to reveal itself on the page. Eventually these words, tumbled and reshaped, will spill onto the page and from there further refinement will be undertaken. Non writers will not appreciate this. They will not understand.   

Everyday the words I hear, the words I see and the words I absorb, sing in my head. This morning while walking my ipod delivered the following words. They have stayed in my head all day.
‘Let me be close to you
So I can understand
Let me be close to you
Under your ceiling fan..’

Later in the morning I was in a shop  with the unforgettable name, 'Fat William's' when I overheard a small girl inform her mother, ‘It’s okay Mum, I’ll be happy with anything, you decide to buy me.’
What made this comment special was its pre-emptive nature for the mother had not indicated any intention to purchase items on the small child’s behalf.  Later in the day, a commentator on the television described a footballer as being, tougher than a goat’s knee. I just instantly loved that description. I had to write it down.

Just before lunch time, while rereading my notebook I came across these words, ‘If I am a teacher who writes, it is easy for me to present as a writer who teaches.’

Every day, words present themselves and I will continue to tap into this rich vein of treasure. I must use all my senses in this ongoing investigation of the world, for when I look at my favourite authors, I notice one thing they share, -they are all collectors. So, I will continue to document what I am drawn to. I will continue to let the words sing in my head before they explode across the page.

Comments

  1. Dawn18 March 2012 at 17:01

    I concur completely - as writers we are 'word worshippers', collecting as words speak to us. Beautifully expressed, Alan, "...continue to let the words sing in my head before they explode across the page." My husband and I travel in our campervan during most school holidays and I feel happiest when I have my 'writer's notebook' close by, jotting down words and thoughts as they appear. Thank you for this lovely insight.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Amy Rudd18 March 2012 at 21:34

    Alan,
    Thank you for your inspiration! I am really thinking a lot about writing these days with participating in the SOLC...I have started keeping a writers notebook...it's all about notes and noticings.

    ReplyDelete
  3. drferreriblogspot.com18 March 2012 at 22:09

    I just put your words into my own writer's notebook.
    If I am a teacher who writes, it is easier to present as a writer who teaches. I'll give you credit too. Thank you for putting a "handle" on what we do.

    ReplyDelete
  4. maria.selke18 March 2012 at 22:45

    Ahh... How many times have I cried out in anguish because I had a wonderful, marvelous, beautiful thought present itself - and lost it into the cosmos because I didn't write it down?

    As I get older, I find it happening more and more. I need to get into the habit of stopping and WRITING things down so I don't lose them forever. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Terje 19 March 2012 at 01:52

    I read your post and thought about "The Boy Who Loved Words" by Roni Schotter.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dana19 March 2012 at 02:31

    I love how you described your word storm and how you and other writers are collectors of words.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Linda B19 March 2012 at 04:36

    And we also collect images, experiences often staying in our minds & hearts for years until something else pulls them out. Your reflection is stirring, Alan, but especially that writer's (& I think scientists') habit of noticing. It's great you found much today to record.

    ReplyDelete
  8. elsie19 March 2012 at 07:36

    ". . . explode across the page" would be the phrase I collect from you today. Before writing I didn't collect words, I did notice them but did nothing with them. That has changed for me. Thanks for always having great words to collect!

    ReplyDelete
  9. fireflytrails19 March 2012 at 09:07

    How many words go unnoticed? So glad you are collecting the ones that "speak" to you. I am trying to do that as well. Your words were noticed today.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Looking for the Write Words19 March 2012 at 14:40

    Alan,

    Your words sing inspiration to your readers. Isn't it interesting how the best words seem to come when we are away from our writing for a bit. Thanks. ~ Theresa

    ReplyDelete
  11. Paul20 March 2012 at 09:40

    This is a fine dsecription of the kind of noting we can all engage in if we start cultivating a mindset to do so. It simply requires slowing down a bit, opening eyes and ears and noses...and it's a beautiful space to inhabit. Sadly, we can get too steeped in hurry and bustle to let it happen; but it's always there waiting for us...

    A great window into process! :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular With Other Visitors

Writing Opposite Poems

Image
 O pp o s ite  P oem s In his book, ' How To Write Poetry,'  Paul Janeczko presents the idea of opposite poems. Paul suggests they could also be referred to as antonym poems. This is wordplay and it's fun to try. Here are some examples Paul provides to help us see very clearly how these short little poems work. I think the opposite of chair Is sitting down with nothing there What is the opposite of kind? A goat that butts you from behind Paul Janeczko You will  notice the poems are written in rhyming couplets. They can be extended so long as you remember to write in couplets. Paul shows us how this is done. What is the opposite of new? Stale gum that's hard to chew A hot-dog roll as hard as rock Or a soiled and smelly forgotten sock You might notice that some of Paul's opposite Poems begin with a question. The remainder of the poem answer the question posed. Opposite poems are a challenge, but it is a challenge worth trying. Not every thing has a
Read more

Writing About Reading - Reading Reflection Journals:

Image
UPDATED February 2022 Writing in response to literature can be a great way for students to organize their thoughts, explore what they think, and generate ideas. One of the strengths of writing in journals is that it allows students to capture all of those great ideas that generally float off into the air during the discussion.  Journal writing can also become drudgery if students are asked to write too often, given little choice or inspiration in what to write, or if they simply don't have anything to say. While some students eagerly share their impressions about selections they have read in class discussions, others are less comfortable and keep their thoughts to themselves. In an effort to encourage all students to think more about what they read and confidently share their observations and opinions, some teachers are turning to the reading reflection journal and are gaining insights they never anticipated.  The Value of Reflection Journals   Journals assist teachers to gain i
Read more

Learning How to 'Zoom In' When Writing

Image
It is important for young writers to understand that not all parts of a story are equal. There are parts through which a writer moves quickly, and important parts where the writer slows down and lingers a while. This is where the writer might intensify the action or reveal the character’s reactions in greater detail. Young writers need to know that this is a deliberate strategy on the part of the author. The author consciously zooms in. The writer uses a magnifying glass to view a part of the story more closely; to focus on a moment and to slow down time. When an important part of the story is enlarged upon, it   is a signal to the reader, that this part of the story is important. The strategy of ‘zooming in’ goes by many names: ‘exploding a moment’ ‘magnifying a moment’, ‘hotspot’ ‘snapshot’, ‘adding detail’ or ‘slowing the action.’  What ever the name, the idea is the same. The author writes in a way that expands a significant part of the story with the intention of drawing t
Read more

Answering Questions Posed by Young POETS

Image
UPDATED, May 2020 As a frequent visitor to schools I have the great pleasure of working with groups of young, enthusiastic poets and their teachers. When I arrive in a classroom, young poets are often pre-loaded with questions, and most keen to have them answered.  I try to answer as many as I can, but we frequently run out of time, and the poetry caravan moves on to the next classroom. So I am here to answer some of those questions -right here, right now. So here goes: When you were little did you love writing? The short answer is yes. I have always enjoyed words and language. I can't recall a time when I wasn't doing some kind of writing. When did you write your first poetry book? I have had poems published over the years, but it wasn't until 2014 that I had an entire book of poems (an anthology) published. When I looked back through all my notebooks I realized I had hundreds of poems from which to choose. So, 'Searching For Hen's Teeth-Poetry From The
Read more

Slice Of Life Story-The Trials Of A Left Handed Writer

Image
Amazingly I learnt to write using my left hand. An achievement against the prevailing beliefs of the day. My very first teacher saw it as her mission in life to ‘fix’ the poor, wretched little boy suffering from what she clearly diagnosed as left handed disease. She must have thought, 'This child must be re formatted! If he remains left handed he will be forever condemned to writing in a scrawl that no one will be able to read. Ugly hand, ugly hand.' ...They tried to say it couldn't be done, it mustn't be done. They took the pencil out of my left hand and placed it in my right hand. It felt unnatural. It felt weird. It was not right. More to the point it was not left. I was not about to conform. At least they didn't try tying my hand behind my back. Watch me I said. I may be an oddball, left handed scribbler but I am a determined oddball. I mean how boring would the world be if everyone wrote with their right hand? So I dug my toes in –and my hands to
Read more