RANDOM LINKAGES
This is the exercise Paul Walsh gave us at the March 1998 meeting (reprinted here with permission from Paul). This exercise can be done alone or in a group.
Grab about ten objects from around the house. For example, a fork, house plant, light bulb, pen, etc. Set the objects on a table.
1. Select an object from the ten objects on the table.
- Describe it in six different ways.
- Why does it appeal to you?
- Now assume that a very old woman in the park is holding it and weeping. Why?
- Now assume that a young child has the object and an older sibling is trying to take it from him. Why?
2. Now randomly pair up the objects on the table, so you have five pairs of object.
- Select a pair of objects.
- Now spend five minutes writing a scene that incorporates these two objects.
3. Now un pair the objects so you are back to ten separate objects.
- Select two objects.
- Write a scene between the actual objects. If the two objects are a bottle of aspirin and a nickle, then the scene is between a bottle of aspirin and a nickle, or maybe between what a bottle of aspirin represents and what a nickle represents.
- To add some intensity to the interaction, in the scene touch on something that you are embarrassed or frightened about.
A few tidbits from Paul's talk:
"A good play encirles a gap."
"Write about what you want to know."
"Don't be truthful, be honest."
"Absence is at the heart of desire."
"A sympathetic character is dishonest - it is an attempt to manipulate the audience."