Day 4 "Walls the color of tears"

Today I timed myself, yet did not set a time limit. I would write  until the thought was over. It seemed easier to not have the restriction of a  clock timing me and my fingers thanked me. I still could not write as fast as  the thoughts came to me. I ended up filling up two pages, single spaced some
lines only three words in 14 minutes.

The theme turned out to be a story again. Interestingly it is a story of a girl who feels betrayal and wants to confront the perpetrator. The walls are glass walls of a corridor in an office building. Not exactly where I thought this statement would go when I started the practice today. The creek in the middle of the corridor reflects the fluid of the picture window walls. The girl feels the need to cry and is so angry that the tears burn and do not fall. She wants to confront a woman that deceived her and she is stopped by the office assistant.

I liked this practice, so much that I called my sister and read it to her. I was excited and wanted to finish the story tonight! My careful critic, said she liked Day 1 more. She liked the silent sound of the
Savior in our life more than a sinister story of betrayal, loneliness and maybe revenge? I do not know I think I will let the story finish the words and have the character tell her part.

Day 3 - You're in a courtyard

I gave myself 10 minutes today. I set the timer, my ball
point pen ready, notebook ready, I had eaten and now I was ready to go.
Anticipation brewed for the moment to open the book and see my topic of the
day. I had just come from a brisk walk on the icy sidewalks around our
neighborhood. The morning felt right – ready for action.

Now the moment arrived, my topic is “You’re in a courtyard”

Yeah! Now what? My fingers flowed and the blue ink filled
the page. The ink glided over and over into one line that appeared to look like
ripples in a creek. Once the timed sounded and my fingers relaxed, a story had
been created about a girl standing in a frozen courtyard, dripping with
icicles, wondering if she should dig up a gun. Her thoughts were halted by
steps outside the courtyard coming in. She knew someone was there for her. And
that is ten minutes.

Now, I question my character. Who is she? Why did she bury a
gun and why does she know someone is there for her?

This practice took on a feel of a story and lead to a
character creation.

It is amazing to me how a few words can create a story, an
image so clear that there is a backstory and a future of a character in only
ten minutes.

Day 1 - Things that enter by way of silence

Day 1

The first day to start writing practice was difficult. I found everything else I would rather be doing. My kids are home for vacation and my husband wants attention. So where do share my love for writing and my family. I love writing by hand and the feel of the pencil disintegrate on the paper.  Yet, my aching hand and tendonitis in my thumb made the experience uncomfortable. With a numb thumb and tense fingers I finished the 5 minutes.

These five minutes felt much longer than I thought it would. It could have been the topic, or the first time syndrome, or the anticipation of 365 entries into my composition book. I have not been known to finish much of what I start.

The first entry is “Things that enter by way of silence” after Mark Strand. I started out pencil strokes with the chill of a ghostly silence that creeps up your spine, from memories created in books and
movies.  This flipped quickly to the silence of positive and good influence of our Lord. The words jumped on to the page about goods deeds and His silence guidance we have been given. The silent
chill then does not creep slowly, tentacle after tentacle up your spine, but encompasses your whole body in a blanket of electricity and good feelings.

After, almost 6 minutes, 115 words written in pencil and a completely different direction than I thought I would go, I feel this practice is successful. I learned to not use pencil; it breaks in the passion of the words. To set the timer up to an exact time (I went over), or decide if I want
it timed or just write until I am done with the thought. This is intimidating to me, I tend to get lost and can sit and write and neglect my house, family and responsibilities of the day.