A Discovery
I suddenly found myself writing a short story that surprised
me, delighted me, made me smile. Where had it come from?
And then I realized there were millions of things hidden in
my mind locked inside file cabinets that I never knew were there.
I don’t remember how I found out about the book “Fast
Fiction” by Roberta Allen. I must have been searching for a new writing
book, perhaps a writing magazine or maybe Barnes and Nobel. It doesn’t matter
anymore. I found it. I bought it. I read it. I worked through it.
The method she used intrigued me. She wrote the book “Fast
Fiction” after running a series of workshops in New York. In the book she
states that she originally fell upon the method as she sat in front of a
painting in an art museum. The painting sparked a story in her mind. She
quickly wrote down the bones of the story to finish at another time. She
continued this throughout the museum and discovered she had found a new way to
create raw material for creative writing pieces.
Allen also wrote “The Playful Way to Serious Writing,” also
one of my favorites, using the same methods.
I use both books to spark fresh writing; to dig out new
things from my dusty, cavernous brain (can you hear the echo?); and to spur me
on during my November Adventure.
My Practice
As per Allen’s suggestion, I set a timer for five minutes,
read one of her specially designed prompts, and write as much as I can before
the timer goes off. This writing is by hand. It must be by hand for it to work
for me. There is something more primitive, more tactile, more visceral when
using a pen and paper. The physical effort of writing connects new places in
the brain.
No crossing out allowed. No fixing “mistakes.” Her method is
as reactionary as possible. The hidden things in the brain are prompted by a
word or a phrase or a picture. I write about the first thing that comes to
mind. Many of these things are uncomfortable and even painful. But she urges
her participant to write them anyway.
Another way to use “Fast Fiction” is to create raw material
for an entire novel. Sometimes after a session of six writing prompts in quick succession,
I see a patterns, a relationship, or a bigger story emerging.
And all these things were hidden somewhere in the file
drawers of my brain.
God is In Charge of Hidden Things
God talks about the hidden things too. The more we work on our relationship with God, the more He reveals to us things we didn’t know were there. Sometimes it happens to me when I’m reading His Word. Sometimes when I am worshipping in church. Sometimes during the message. Sometimes while I’m praying. Sometimes while I am writing. These are precious times for me, times of convicting, or insight, or truth, or realization.
But there are things that will be hidden until God is ready
to reveal them. And that is okay with this bear of very little brain.
Passages to Ponder
“But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels
in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” – Mark 13:32 (NASB)
“For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor
anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” – Luke 8:17 (NASB)
“Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great
and mighty things, which you do not know.” – Jeremiah 33:3 (NASB)
“But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed,
and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the
dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms
will be proclaimed upon the housetops.” – Luke 12:2-3
“At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise You, Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent
and have revealed them to infants.’” – Matthew 11:25
Hidden – 10-27-22 – 31 Days of Writing About Writing
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