The Writer's E-Zine Home

Writers' Village University - F2K: Free Fiction Writing Course - ePress-online
Writers' Village University Membership Information

Sparks

Karen (Karenika) Grunberg

From Darkness it Cometh

They say that if one of your senses is diminished, the others get keener. This month we will attempt to test this theory out.

Sometimes we see best not with our eyes but with our minds. In my opinion, most writers pay attention to details. They notice miniscule items the common eye overlooks. Often, this is crucial to a story. A single, well-placed word can make the entire scenery come alive. So, writing is a lot about looking and observing. This month, however, we will do just the opposite.

Sitting in a dark room, and I mean pitch black, you quickly lose your sense of boundaries. Even if you know the dimensions of the room by heart, the blackness seems endless. It's as if there are no walls or doors, only an infinite darkness. I hope that you are not afraid of the dark – even though I am - because this month we plan to spend a considerate amount of time in it.

There are two ways you can do this exercise. Either you can pick a topic ahead of time and decide to concentrate on that, or you can let your mind go wild. I'll briefly explain both.

The 'choose a topic' one is especially useful when you're stuck. Let's say you're writing a short story but you're not sure how it should end. Or you have a character with whom you don't feel all that well acquainted. Do you have a specific sentence that you want to rephrase? As I said, anything that is stopping the potential progress of your writing is a good topic. In this case, you might want to actively decide to concentrate on that thing.

In cases where you have something due, but no ideas are accommodating your deadline, you might want to just let your mind go wild. Sometimes the best ideas come when we least expect. In the darkness, you could just get the best idea ever, or whatever is bothering you and therefore stopping you from writing, can come to the surface, releasing your mind.

So, pick your method. Now, go to one of the rooms in your house, preferably one that has thick curtains. This exercise is best done at night or in late afternoon so that the weather can accommodate. Try to do the exercise with as few people at home as possible. One, so no one interrupts you, two, because they might think you are a bit insane. :)

The goal is to sit in a pitch-black room for fifteen minutes. Set your alarm so you know when the time is up. During these fifteen minutes you can lie in bed and stare with your eyes open or closed, sit on a couch, or crouch on the floor. Any position that will make you comfortable is allowed. Try not to fall asleep, but if you're really tired a nap might be helpful anyhow. If so, take a nap and try to redo this exercise when you're less sleepy.

After your fifteen minutes in the dark, slowly come out to another room, where you've already prepared a piece of paper and pen, and write continuously without thinking. Attempt to pour everything on your mind onto the paper. Don't censor your style or content. Anything and everything is acceptable. Once you get it all out of your system, read over what you've written. Read it twice. If you picked a topic, see if any answers have come your way. Go over it with a pen and circle potential story ideas. Put a square around phrases that sound interesting. Underline sentences where you think your writing appears exceptional. If none of these seem to be on your sheets, you're censoring yourself. Go back in the dark for a while longer and write again. Or try the exercise another day.

Keep in mind darkness can be like an empty canvas: a good place to paint a new character or a lively setting. Create a few characters and make them act. Your brain will not be acknowledging the objects surrounding you since you won't see any of them, so draw yourself anything your creativity is willing to unleash.

As always, make sure to have fun, fun, fun!

Karenika