The patience of the slower road…
Wide open spaces and taking time.
While driving a beautiful country road in Central Texas, I recorded a podcast episode via my lil phone and mused on the way we can both desire recognition/meeting goals/finishing a project while also (simultaneously) appreciating process. I was taking a slower, steadier back road to avoid the chaos of I-35. I got to see wildlife and wildflowers—firewheels and Texas thistle dotting the bar ditches.
Sometimes we take a more patient approach by choice; sometimes we’re forced to be patient because some things just take longer.
And oftentimes we get impatient working in the dark without (or so it seems) anything to show for it.
A wild image snuck into mind—the way a writer or character could be changing while steeped in the slow, preparatory practice that brings us to our eventual destination. A writing prompt emerged…
Quick suggestion: Invite a writing partner/creative peer to do this with you at an agreed upon time—or in each other’s presence, if you like—and share your words and wild imaginings with each other.
Guided Writing: Growing Wings
Imagine yourself or a character on a long, slow journey. You could imagine your novel-writing journey, or the practice of writing your memoir. You could picture your character in a preparatory stage or on the road to some eventual goal or destination.
Take a few moments to imagine either of these visuals. What do you see about yourself or your character at the beginning of the journey? Write for seven minutes.
Now imagine that you (or your character) is actually experiencing some kind of physical change that may not have anything to do with the work or the journey itself. As you write, or as your character walks, you may be growing wings. It’s a scratchy spot on your back at first, and then the more you work, the more you realize—yep, I’ve got butterfly wings on my back. Or it may be that as your character moves toward their goal, they grow a beard as long as their ankles. Describe the physical transformation that is taking place in you or your character (remember, this is some wild imagining; everything is allowed). Write for thirteen minutes.
Take a moment to reflect. How did this make you feel? Was it like a crazy, sparkly whirlwind, or a weird, dark journey? Was it lightening? Sinking? Lifting? Write for five minutes.
Finally, one last breath. Sit for a moment with the wild imaginings and the way you feel. Thank yourself again for taking this time. Thank yourself for taking all the time you need. Thank your mind and all its storytelling layers.
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