WIDE
Write a flow of words that contains the names of
at least
two cities [which will require you to “visit” them in your mind and
record some
kind of word-snapshots] and then, in the same piece, talk about the
weather at least
once, and some kind of food. And never think about the logic. Just do
it. Let
the words flow. They don’t even have to be sentences. Only break them
into
lines that signify how you might say them if you were just relaxing and
talking. Be aware of the cadences that the words make, and let this
help you
decide where to end one line and begin another.
Feel free to make nonsensical juxtapositions of probably unrelated
recollections, seeing images and forming them into words, remembering
places
you have been, traveling mentally to places you may not have visited in
your
life experiences. And as you follow the instructions, you can
immediately cast
off the impulse to be sensible, and you will fascinate yourself with
the
writing that comes out.
This exercise is intended for limbering up. You don't have to
necessarily know
where you're going before you start. Just get it started and let it
roll.
You'll discover later. And allow yourself to feel the satisfaction of
just
having done it. For more information about this exercise, read the
first week's
lecture, entitled: "The Wide Lake of Creative Imagination," which
will tell you more about it.