Sense Memory, Queries, and the Mob

Today I went to the eye doctor for a regular checkup. It had gotten to that point again where I was having trouble reading street signs until I was right on top of them. The fun part about the trip to the eye doctor, as you may know, is the eye dilation drops. Love those things. Of course, they sting going in (and who doesn't love the sensation of stinging eyes?) and the dilation does not go away for hours. So for the rest of the day you look like Hootie the Owl, perpetually scared, or hopped up on some wierd drug. As you drive home from the eye doctor, you pray you are not pulled over for weaving (as you cannot quite see through the blurry vision where the double line actually is) because you just know the officer will take one look at your wide, wide Hootie eyes and drag you in for a drug test.

What does any of this have to do with writing? Well, everything. First, it delayed my blogging for today as I had to rush around like the proverbial chicken without a head to get things done and get to the doctor's on time (only to "hurry up and wait" for two hours). When I came home, my friend, the lovely Tracie had emailed me asking where my post was today because she missed it. (I have a fan?!!) Third, and here's where it's really relevant, it's all sense memory.

Ah, if you are an actor, you are smiling and saying, "Oh, of course I can use that in my writing!" If you're not an actor, you may be saying, "A what-the-who?" Sense memory is an acting technique where an actor recreates something that isn't there from remembering or recalling their personal experiences. For example, watch a mime. They are all about sense memory: where's the box? Here's the box and I'm trapped in it! Look, I'm playing baseball and I'm giving you the ball and I want you to throw it to me. . . Some brilliant actors who utilize sense memory are Robin Williams (who was a mime), John Leguizamo, and even Kathy Griffin.

Remembering these seemingly ridiculous and insignificant events in our lives can become the cornerstone of major comedy skits or scenes. Just think of the classic T.V. episode of The Carol Burnett show where Tim Conway is a dentist and Harvey Korman is the patient and Conway keeps injecting himself with novocaine. Although this scene was mostly improvised, I dare anyone to watch it without laughing.

Writers should note these insignificant events in life. Want to complicate a character's life in a story? If he has to get to somewhere fast, let him find out after he's been dilated at the eye doctor's office and its a bright, sunny day. And the police are looking for someone who just robbed a pharmacy.

Utilize the events in your life that drive you loco at the doctor's office, at the DMV, mall shopping during the holidays. . . Next time you feel yourself having an emotional reaction to something, positive or negative, make a note of it.  It will strengthen one of your stories. .. 

Please check out my novel Luke Aloysius:  Bloodline on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GD9X8BE

Reading for Focus and Inspiration

When beginning a new project, sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to find what you want to focus on. Sometimes you know you want to write, but you can't think of a single word to type on the page. Other times, you have so many ideas and projects lined up in your cranium that you don't know where to begin or what to begin with. Do I outline the next screenplay? Do I write a poem? Do I work on my novel? Do I begin a short story? Too many ideas. . .head hurts. . . It's quite common with us creative types.

Yesterday, I had that focus block. After I blogged, I looked through my work and tried to figure out which project I wanted to focus on now. I have to say it drove me a little nuts. As I wrote yesterday, I have a lot of stuff crammed into that filing cabinet! (And I didn't even discuss what's saved to the harddrive and flashdrives of my IMac yet!) Oy.

So, I did what I normally do when I get a focus block; I looked for inspiration. The first thing I did was pop open a report entitled, "The Death of the Screenwriter" from Marvin V. Alcuna and The Business of Show Institute (thebusinessofshowinstitute.com) and started to read. I actually had gotten the idea to blog from this very report. Mr. Alcuna does a lot of free tips on the internet that are very useful and inspiring, so I decided to check out the report a little more. As I read, I realized that with the economy now adversely affecting the film industry, I really need to focus on my pitches for now. Once that's settled, I can focus on starting new things.

Afterwards, I read. "Readers are leaders," is what Kevin Trudeau says (love him or hate him, he's right!) And, as the commercial says, "The more you read, the more you learn." I try to read something every day. The more you read, the better a writer you'll become. You'll not only pick up better grammar, but you'll learn how to be a better storyteller as well.

I am usually reading a few books at once; everything from the classics to self-improvement. Currently I'm reading Candide by Voltaire.  I actually got out of teaching it twice because I couldn't get through it. Now I'm forcing myself to read it to figure out why its a work of literary art. For ongoing reading I keep Shakespeare's collective works and the Bible at my side. It's the best writing around.

Please check out my novel Luke Aloysius:  Bloodline on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GD9X8BE