Writing: a sensorial affair
I’ve been writing all my life. Well, almost! At least since I was able to hold a pen and make scribbles. Writing just gives me an enormous thrill and sense of freedom. I am free to imagine, I am free to put down in words emotions, lives, times... So writing it’s not something I just do, but part of who I am. It’s my sixth sense.
I don’t plan my writing either. This would make it too restrained. For me, the power comes from the exhilarating passion of simply opening a blank page and letting my fingers tap dance on the keyboard. Thoughts turn into words, words into messages and messages into emotions. And evoking a mood or emotion is utterly compelling, because it’s what remains, for better or for worse, and create memories.
I met with Nick the other day. He used to be my boss and now he’s a good friend and mentor. He was asking me about my book...the usual...how far I am into it, and then he said, “How do you do it? Do you think of the chapter you are in and then write it down?” And I replied, “Oh no, I don’t think about it. It already exists. I just feel it. I hear it, smell it, taste it, see it and touch it.” He did look a bit puzzled after listening to my answer. In essence, I’d just described to him what writing really is: a powerful emotion. A sensation so intense that filters through my senses.
When writing a scene, I see my characters vividly, their physical attributes, mannerisms, style. I hear their voices with their polished or unpolished accents. I perceive what they smell, taste and touch. So they become alive because they feel real. Talking about something that’s real becomes easy then. I just put words into dialogue, action or expression to convey any emotion whatsoever. This creates what I and any other author aims for, an immersive reading experience, which is always felt through the five senses.
In the next coming weeks, I will be sharing with you how dialogues and physical interactions can be felt through paper. Keep tuned!