The Writing Life Writing Using The Senses
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Oct 24, 2022 Award-winning Belgian writer Els Beerten shares insights on character development and using the senses to bring places and people to life. Topics range from exploring historical narratives through character depth to using writing as a tool for connection and sensory experience.
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Start From Characters Not Outlines
- Els Beerten starts novels from characters and scenes rather than outlines to discover motives and authentic language.
- She 'crawls into' characters, writing short scenes repeatedly until she feels she loves and understands them enough to write their voice.
Use Movement To Unlock Ideas
- Movement and physical activity fuel Els Beerten's creative thinking and associative leaps while writing.
- She uses walks or motion to 'open' her body so ideas flow into her head like a river when words stall.
Choose History From Images Not Research
- Els chooses historical contexts from images and emotional impulses that surface in her imagination, not from research first.
- Research follows because she needs context to test and deepen the characters she already sees.