Day Four For Writers Who Want More

If you have a desire to write you will be surprised how the words and ideas flow if you keep an open mind and a sense of fun and move out of your comfort zone.

Throw away preconceptions and expectations, those debilitating comparisons with others and indulge your passion for words. Write honestly and from the heart – don’t self-edit until you finish the first draft.

For inspiration or a first topic look no further than your hands!

Observe your hand for a few moments.

Exercise 1:

• What do you see that you’ve never noticed or at least not really thought about before?
• Jot down some observations about your hand/hands/finger/fingers.
• Do you have white spots on your nails? Chipped or perfect nail polish?
• Have you ever had broken bones or a severe injury to your hands?
• Once you have a good list describing what you noticed, ask why and how.

You will probably begin with the physical, but you may find yourself remembering past experiences. You will enter the realm of thoughts and feelings…

The writing you produce might be

• Personal essay
• Memoir
• Family History
• Fiction
• Poetry
• Article for a magazine or website

Exercise 2:

Explore further –

1. Perhaps your main character in a story or play relies on their hands and tragedy strikes… or they win awards, achieve a dream…
2. Have you a talent or skill (or did you have) that involves dexterity, precision, mobility, strong hands, nimble fingers…
3. Do you play a sport that needs strong accurate hands?
4. Can you remember finger painting – or your children finger-painting and making mud pies
5. Perhaps you have experienced violent hands or done things with your hands you wished you hadn’t…
6. Do you wish you were better at knitting, sewing, crochet, gardening, writing… can you teach any of these skills?
7. Are your hands crippled with arthritis? Do you have sunspots? Skin cancer?
8. Are your hands like your mother or father?
9. Do you wear jewellery (rings, bracelets) – how meaningful are they? Is there a story attached to your ring or bangle, or wristwatch?
10. Do you bite or paint your fingernails – why?

• Explore prose writing in both fiction and nonfiction. You don’t have to decide which you prefer – try both to help discover what kind of writing you favour.

The idea is to see with a writer’s eyes, spark ideas to life, gain confidence, and experiment with both fiction and nonfiction with an aim to engage the reader.

Exercise 3:

Choose a quote below and write to the theme that may be inferred or whatever story or memory it triggers

God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with.  

Billy Graham

Show me your hands. Do they have scars from giving? Show me your feet. Are they wounded in service? Show me your heart. Have you left a place for divine love? 

          Fulton J. Sheen

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.                                                                                

Audrey Hepburn

Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.                                                  

Anne Frank

Exercise 4:

Extend thoughts about hands to other members of your family, partners, parents, children, mentors, teachers… the list can be endless if you are observant and imaginative.

Here is a poem from Heather, who came to my class for years, first at Mordialloc and latterly at Longbeach in Chelsea. She was 90 years old when sadly ill-health, then death stopped her talented pen from writing.

These Hands (A Sonnet)
Heather Yourn

These wrinkled hands with sunspots
have seen far better days
Once so subtle, now stiff with age
deft with needle and thread
able to make the piano sing
Once were taken for granted
pages of writing fill the boxes
recipes, stories, poems, diaries
even a leadlight box crafted.
under supervision, they remain to
celebrate dexterity and youth.
Blue-veined traced and bent
my hands still serve me well
I salute you with grateful thanks.

And one from me…

My Hands
Mairi Neil

These hands fumble now
where they once achieved with ease
buttons now boulders, zips an effort
Velcro fasteners? Oh, yes, please!

What are those raised veins saying –
the lumpy knuckles too?
wedding ring too tight, abandoned
more than the veins are blue.

In the past, skin smooth and soft
and these hands were strong
a past of music, craft and toddlers
weakness didn’t belong…

These hands feeble now
where once they achieved with ease
piano, guitar, sewing, knitting…
house renovations a breeze

Scarred from work and accidents
sun-damaged and skin dry
weakened grip and suspect skill
they’ve earned a rest, I sigh.

But wait, these hands still toil
a means to feed my passion
pens replaced with keypad
writing never out of fashion.

These trusted hands a part of me
what stories they can tell
ignoring arthritic pain and age
I’ll write a memoir to sell!

And now some writing from you…