The Power of the Literary Shoe Horn

a phrase or word that helps us get into the flow of an idea

Welcome, new readers, and welcome back, everyone else! I’m writing this post from Jack Kerouac’s bungalow in Orlando, Florida, where he wrote The Dharma Bums, and where I’ve been the spring writer-in-residence! I’m actually in the final days of the residency, which has been nothing short of incredible and life-changing. Also, if you’re in the Orlando area, you’re invited to come to the Farewell Reading TONIGHT (Saturday, 5/20 at 7pm) at The Kerouac House (1418 Clouser Ave, Orlando). It’s going to be lots of fun!

I’ve been working toward finishing a draft of a novel while here in Orlando, yet I’m also close to finishing two full-length short stories that I’ve been working on for almost two years. Throughout all this writing and revision work, I’ve found myself thinking back on the idea of “the literary shoe horn,” a term I posted about in December. The idea: In the same way an actual shoe horn helps get the shoe on your foot, yet doesn’t remain, the literary shoe horn can help us get into flow or voice or to the heart of an idea, and can (if you deem it best) be cut afterward.

I came up with this term last fall and Tweeted about it…

But what I found most exciting was hearing from everyone who shared examples of “literary shoe horns” they use: specifically, the omnipresence of this “tool” as well as the awareness of it. Perhaps the power here lies in articulating our intent directly, the way many of these phrases get us to do, or maybe it’s the permission they give us to muse and meander, to be confidently vague until we come to the idea or specificity we’re trying to find. Whatever it is, I was fascinated by the possible groupings among the phrases shared by everyone, and after spending some time thinking about the different avenues of approach they all take, I thought it might be helpful to share a list of some of them (below), grouped according to those different approaches (although almost all of these could be cross-listed in multiple groups).

Big thanks to everyone who shared! You can see all of the contributions here.

Some of the literary shoe horns you all shared on Twitter:

A Confession:

• “But what I haven’t told you is…”

• “Here is a confession…”

• “What is there to say?”

• "I should probably tell you..."

Directness / Urgency

• “The thing I want to say is…”

• “What I’m trying to say is…”

• "I need you to understand...."

• “What I really want to say is …”
  

Clarification

• “What you might not understand is that...”

• "What is it exactly I'm trying to say?"

• “It’s come to my attention that…”
  

Voice-Driven Musing

• “I remember…”

• “Sometimes…”

• “The thing is…”

• “I suppose…”

• “It could be (that)…”

• “When I think about it…”

• “How many... ?’

• “Sometimes…”
  

Narrative Anchor

• “It all started when…”

• “This morning…”

• “Whenever I…”

In summary, a literary shoe horn can:

1. Give us permission to explore without feeling boxed in too early.

2. Help us get to the heart of the matter and focus us on what we really want to say. Act as a laser pointer or as bumper lanes on a bowling alley. They help us fine what we’re aiming for.

3. Help us get in touch with a the narrative voice of a piece, or lead us to voice.

4. Act as crucial transitions between ideas.

5. Remain in your final piece (or not), depending on the voice and (of course) the piece!

Literary Shoehorn Writing Prompt / Exercise

If you want to try generating something new using these literary shoe horns, they can make GREAT first-sentences. Pick one from the lists above, and begin freewriting!

To use a literary shoehorn in a current project, first identify a place in your current WIP where you think you could go deeper and/or get closer to the “heart” of the piece. Pick a shoe horn that seems like it might work, and try it out! You can also use the shoe horn anywhere you feel transitions between paragraphs feel a little sticky.

What’s new with me

As I mentioned above, I’ve been the spring writer-in-residence at The Kerouac House in Orlando, living and writing in the house where Jack wrote The Dharma Bums! It’s been an incredible experience, and I’m sad to see it end: The bulk of my writing while here has been on my long-in-progress novel, How to Survive on Land, based on an early short story of mine (if you’re curious, you can read the story here in The New Ohio Review). Jack’s house is cozy, with a perfect porch where I write most mornings, in the company of some very eager lizard friends. The Kerouac Project community has also been warm and welcoming, and I’ve been able to explore a lot in the area as well and go on some novel-research trips to springs, sinkholes, the town of Tarpon Springs (the “sponge diving capital of the world”), among other places.

Also, TONIGHT is the farewell reading at the Kerouac House!

May 20 | 7 - 10 pm EST
Farewell Reading at The Kerouac House
In Person / The Kerouac House, Orlando, FL
Join me for a final reading at the house where Jack Kerouac wrote Dharma Bums (and where I have, hopefully, finished a draft of my novel during my spring residency in the house)! I'll share some new work, answer any questions about my process.

Other writing-related news:

Publications:

• I’m thrilled to a have another story appear in Ghost Parachute this spring, “Speech Lessons,” my tongue-twister-fueled flash about coin collecting and moving on. Also, my social media / voyeurism ghost story “They Could Have Been Yours” originally published in the The Missouri Review last spring, is in the spring issue of Apex Magazine , as a “classic fiction” reprint!
  

What I’m Reading:

• Like pretty much all writers, I am behind on the reading I want to do, with multiple books on my to-read list. At the moment, I am midway through Vanessa Hua’s harrowing historical novel Forbidden City, which teaches so much history even as it enthralls with an unputdownable story. I’m also savoring Kelly Link’s new short story collection, White Cat, Black Dog. I’ve just read Anders Carlson-Wee’s forthcoming poetry collection, Disease of Kings, which is stunning as individual poems yet also as a complete narrative, and is currently open for pre-orders. Also, I am having a hard time putting down Faith Shearin’s novel Lost River, which is a masterful work of art about death, ghosts, girlhood, and growing up. If you love Kelly Link and Karen Russell and the lushness of Angela Carter’s prose, you’ll love this one.

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About me

JOY BAGLIO is a speculative-literary writer and proud Leo living in Northampton MA. Joy is the founder of Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop, a literary arts organization - now virtual - offering writing workshops, craft classes, literary events, and editing/coaching services. Her short stories have appeared in literary magazines such as Tin House, The Missouri Review, American Short Fiction, Conjunctions, The Iowa Review, Gulf Coast, and elsewhere. Recent honors include residencies from Yaddo, Vermont Studio Center, The Kerouac Project (spring 2023), and Ragdale (summer 2023); scholarships from Sewanee Writers’ Conference and Bread Loaf; and grants from The Elizabeth George Foundation and The Speculative Literature Foundation. Joy is at work on a collection of short stories and two novels. She loves birds, dinosaurs, amateur astronomy, and plays the bagpipes. Visit her at www.JoyBaglio.com (& on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon).

Thank you!

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