Writing Exercise

Tune In and Turn On

Think back to your morning commute to work or to another destination. Think about all the people who crossed your path. Focus in on one person. Take out your writing journal and list everything that you recall about the appearance of this person. What were they wearing? Describe the expression on their face. Did they speak to you or someone else? How did their voice sound? Were they wearing perfume? Once you completely describe the exterior of this person, let your imagination loose and write about where you image this person is traveling to—and are they late/on time/have no time constraints? What did this person eat for breakfast this morning? What book are they currently reading? Do they love someone or many people or no one in particular? What is this person’s favorite food? Movie? Hobby? Color?

Our lives can be very demanding, requiring us to complete many tasks in a single day or week or year, so we sometimes tune out or turn off our sensory perceptions because, well, we’re busy. And too much stimulation from the world in which we move can be overwhelming. But one of our greatest tools as a writer is our power of observation. Give yourself permission to tune in to the world around you and turn on your writer’s mind to discover the richness of the world in which we live.

Write on!

Lisa