What do you do when you don’t know what to write?
Maybe you want to write but think you have nothing to say. Or you know you have something to say, but don’t know how to say it.
In this episode, I’m giving you 3 powerful writing exercises when you don’t know what to write.
These will to help you find your way into a story by tapping into potent memories.
As Alice Munro once said, “Memory is the way we keep telling ourselves our stories and telling other people a somewhat different version of our stories.”
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Episode at a glance:
[01:58] Memory is a powerful storytelling tool because it helps us tap into the things that matter to us. And when it matters to us, it matters to our readers.
[04:44] Exercise 1 is all about places you’ve lived. These may be towns, streets, houses, or rooms. The power of this exercise is that it roots you in a particular time and a particular place. And because there are potent memories and people attached to places, this is a story goldmine.
[08:03] Exercise 2 is all about a significant event from your past that fundamentally changed you. This might bring up intense feelings, and that’s the point.
[13:36] Exercise 3 involves an unsettling memory of another child from your past – a sibling, cousin, schoolmate, neighbor, or bully. It may have been someone you feared, resented or envied.
The purpose of these exercises is to bring back the past to explore the present, and even imagine the future.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 13: How To Write For Emotional Impact
Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood
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