Beat - A Writing Practice

[Cryptos]

Occasionally I hear that people attempting to improve their handwriting get bored with the endless and monotonous reproduction of letters and wish to write something else, something with a little context or connection.

 

I am currently reading a biography of Jack Kerouac and at one point it mentions a writing practice that I think may be quite useful to some of the members here. The method was to take a notebook and a writing tool with you at all times and, somewhat randomly, look at something in the world and describe it in a couple of paragraphs – perhaps enough writing to cover one side of an index card. From what I understand it seems as though it is important not to cherry-pick your objects for description, but just whatever you stumble across during your normal day. The descriptions should be spontaneous, whatever you want to say about it right there and then!

 

The practice may be quite useful for writers who wish to hone their descriptive skills, and would offer some changing and different material for those who are interested in the handwriting skills.

 

 

Does anyone here engage in this kind of activity? Thoughts on it?

[londonbooks]

Occasionally I do what you have described but definitely not enough. I need a nudge to get myself writing descriptively and spontaneously. It's a weakness I have to work on and I think I am not alone in that.

[Frank C]

As far as I know, the ultimate example of this is chronicled in plistumi's post: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/222977-devils-dictionary/

 

It has almost motivated me to do something similar.

[Cryptos]

Not exactly what I was aiming at. The Devil's Dictionary is truly an hilarious collection, but it is a collection of one liners in the main. Not much meat on it. With Kerouac's method you have the chance to develop a description beyond the first sentence, without having to stop, choose another word to define, and then come up with a pithy line. In other words, there is - in my opinion - context.

 

Both are good exercises, but they are quite different to me.

[Titus D]

That's a great idea! I've a few pals and a Mrs who take photos so I'm going to start doing this whilst they snap away.

 

Good post - thank you.

[Millefleurs]

I do this all the time, and I love it. Whether it's sitting in the window seat of an airplane and describing the way the landscape and sky changes over the course of several hours (yes, I have done this, and wound up filling pages and pages, much to the bemusement of the person sitting next to me, I'm sure!) or writing down what I see at the dog park, or on a bus, or in a coffee shop (really, anywhere), I find the practice to be so beneficial that I'd recommend it to anyone. It forces you to really look at things, not just see them, and yes, I do believe it helps me both in my writing and in my photography. And it's relaxing. Almost like a form of meditation. Time passes without you even being aware of it, because you're so focused on this one sliver of life that's in front of you - the sounds, the scents, the colors, all of it there to be recorded on paper. It's really quite lovely.

 

Plus, it's a great challenge. Anything - even a concrete wall - can be described with great and wonderful accuracy if you just take the time to really look.

[Cryptos]

Good for you! I was going to say that one of the benefits of this practice is that it encourages engagement with the present moment, but I wanted to see if anyone else had noticed this first.

[Yaakova]

John Berendt suggested: "Keep a diary, but don't just list all the things you did during the day. Pick one incident and write it up as a brief vignette. Give it colour, include quotes and dialogue, shape it like a story with a beginning, middle and end - as if it were a short story or an episode in a novel. It's great practice. Do this while figuring out what you want to write a book about. The book may even emerge from within this running diary."

[Runnin_Ute]

John Berendt suggested: "Keep a diary, but don't just list all the things you did during the day. Pick one incident and write it up as a brief vignette. Give it colour, include quotes and dialogue, shape it like a story with a beginning, middle and end - as if it were a short story or an episode in a novel. It's great practice. Do this while figuring out what you want to write a book about. The book may even emerge from within this running diary."

This is a terrific idea!

[sharonspens]

Haven't tried this before, but I really like the idea. Thanks for the suggestion; it should stretch my journal entires a bit. Might even be interesting in some letters.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[Intellidepth]

Great idea. I'm not up to the short story style (way too much thinking!), but colourful descriptions I can do. 'Being in the present' was the first thing that occurred to me Going to give that a try as I spend too much time in deep thought and not enough anchored in the lighter here-and-now awareness. Thank you for posting the idea.

[Drawing61]

During student days, a group of like-minded friends and I use to get together for drinks and TO SAVE THE WORLD. A game we played was to pass around a sheet of paper and each one write whatever they wished. The catch was that after you made your mark you folded the paper so the next person couldn't see what had been written, in the style of DADA. The next catch was that your handwriting had to be as distinct and neat as possible which became harder as the evening wore on. There were some amusingly absurd essays and poems produced. The person whose handwriting maintained its integrity until the end won bragging rights.

[sidthecat]

I keep a small notebook on me at all times: one gets to be a certain age and one must write things down before they disappear.

Names, scenes, ideas for scenes in a sort of shorthand. Too many of these happen while driving: it's a wonder I haven't killed someone.

[Stompie]

I would imagine that this is also a great way to expand your vocabulary!

[inkstainedruth]

Both the Kerouac descriptive writing and the diary of vignettes sound like great ideas. Definitely things I'm going to be looking into trying.

I just love all the inspiration I get on FPN. Thanks guys!

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Stompie]

Made some notes yesterday

 

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj229/Popsjill/DSCN2026_zpscbphf1xq.jpg

[Frank C]

Love the cursive writing, Stompie. Which pen and ink combination did you use? So, did you go talk to them?

[Sailor Kenshin]

Occasionally I hear that people attempting to improve their handwriting get bored with the endless and monotonous reproduction of letters and wish to write something else, something with a little context or connection.

 

I am currently reading a biography of Jack Kerouac and at one point it mentions a writing practice that I think may be quite useful to some of the members here. The method was to take a notebook and a writing tool with you at all times and, somewhat randomly, look at something in the world and describe it in a couple of paragraphs – perhaps enough writing to cover one side of an index card. From what I understand it seems as though it is important not to cherry-pick your objects for description, but just whatever you stumble across during your normal day. The descriptions should be spontaneous, whatever you want to say about it right there and then!

 

The practice may be quite useful for writers who wish to hone their descriptive skills, and would offer some changing and different material for those who are interested in the handwriting skills.

 

 

Does anyone here engage in this kind of activity? Thoughts on it?

I did that years ago! Makes me want to try it again.

[Bookman]

I want to stop and focus on the things we pass by every day, sometimes day after day, and don't notice or barely notice. This reminds me of something the poet said in Rainer Maria Rilke's novel, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge: "I think I should begin to do some work, now that I am learning to see."

 

What was it that Flaubert once said?—anything becomes interesting if you look at it long enough. It might not be literally true, but it's mostly true.

 

I think it's essential to the writer's craft to be able to see old scenes or familiar objects as though they were new. This goes back to something—the "freshness of response"— in Dorothea Brande's book, Becoming a Writer: "… to see traits and characteristics as though each were new-minted from the hand of God instead of sorting them quickly into dusty categories and pigeonholing them without wonder or surprise …"

 

I like this idea of Kerouac's that you've shared, Cardboard_Tube. It'll keep all of us sharp.

[Stompie]

Love the cursive writing, Stompie. Which pen and ink combination did you use? So, did you go talk to them?

 

Thank you.

 

It is an old, cheap Parker pen that I ground to an italic nib years ago before I even knew this site existed, I was just fiddling with it.

Oxonian fine tuned the nib for me about 2 years ago and it is still a firm favourite pen.

 

The ink is Noodlers Bad Black Moccasin

 

The paper, well, the paper is from an Estate. I found loads of old notebooks, some of which are over 50 years old! I also found a stash of onion skin paper which I am too scared to use because I don't want it to be finished

 

Alas, I did not gather the courage to go and talk to the Ladies!