addresswriting

In the following exercise, I'm going to ask you a series of questions and make several suggestions of ideas for writing. Sometimes in response to these guidelines, people write in lines rather than sentences and paragraphs -- something that resembles a poem rather than a narrative. As we go through this process, in response to each set of directions or questions, you might want to write only a phrase or a single word on a line. Or you can write more -- it's up to you.

If your writing is moving along and you don't need the questions I'm asking, try to ignore my voice and stay on your own path. The prompts are meant to help you when you need a new idea, but you don't have to answer them.

This means that either you know this place very well, or only slightly — perhaps you've been there only once -- or, perhaps, not at all. Despite this, be as specific as you can in describing it. Name this place -- it could be as specific as an address (259 E. 57th St., New York, NY) or a more narrative description (Uncle Clyde's house on Parker Street in Lebanon, Indiana) or even something sort of vague (the hot mineral springs in Aguas Calientes). Let whatever comes up for you when looking at this picture be the place you're going to work with, whether you can explain the reason or not. Don't worry. You won't have to defend your choice. Just take a chance — write the address or place name at the top of your sheet. If you feel uncertain about the choice, remember that you can repeat the exercise at a later time with another place. For now just somewhere as a heading for the work; choose it for the sake of the exercise.
 * I will read the following guidelines for composing** **(**[|Perl]**):**
 * Bring one of the pictures you have up on your screen. Is this a picture of a place you know? Even if it isn't, find a place where you locate this photo. If you don't know where the photo was taken, make up a place.
 * "Look" at the place in your mind. What do you see there? Go closer towards it. Do you have to turn to go inside? Which way do you turn, right or left? Keep moving towards it. What do you see now?
 * Is there a color to this scene? Are there many colors?
 * What do you hear? Do you hear music?
 * Who's there? Is anyone there? Does someone speak? What is said?
 * Is there food? Can you smell it? Is someone cooking?
 * Does anyone else come in? Is there talk? Record the talk as well as you can.
 * Write for a few more minutes on anything you've already thought of, or a new image.


 * You can turn this into a poem if you wish:**
 * Put line-breaks in after interesting, important, meaningful words.
 * See if it seems to be breaking up into verses for you.
 * Make it a free-verse poem. Don't worry about rhyming.

Or you can leave it as a narrative, a memoir, or perhaps a fiction about a made-up place...