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Colin Sullivan's avatar

can a shoe horn be non-literary? i don't know about the literary part. i fear the word is over used. my own private shoe horns come from a place where MFAs don't exist (even if i have one). i wonder about the usefulness of prompts, triggers, launching pads, catapults, trampolines, etc. maybe all this shoe-horning leads to a lot of junk. no? i wonder. when i was younger i found myself caught up in the natalie goldberg "writing down the bones" way -- now i don't think much of it. she sold a lot of books to humans with dreams (and dreams deferred). writing as "self-therapy" makes me cringe. don't mean to agitate. just wondering. or maybe agitation is my own literary shoe horn. hmmm.

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Joy Baglio's avatar

Completely fair thoughts, and I'm sure you're describing something very true (to your own process). I know for myself, and for many others, things like launching pads, prompts, shoe horns DO work some kind of unexplainable magic in the way of taking me outside my usual approaches. I have unlocked stories I never knew I had in me because I was writing in response to someone else's prompt, which propelled me in a different direction than usual. There are so many different ways to be inspired and to be on this path (of writing). Mine is really about experimentation, trying new things (often in the form of prompts and challenges), and hence the desire to share that with others, in case it helps. It may not, but that's the idea. Wishing you lots of inspiration with your work, with shoe horns or not! :)

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Kathy Fish's avatar

Love this, Joy. I remember you talking about it before. Excellent prompt as well. Thanks!

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Joy Baglio's avatar

Thanks so much for reading, Kathy! So glad you enjoy it. And yes, it was one of those ideas I couldn't get out of my head!

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Alex-GPT's avatar

“I remember” is a great one. If a character remembers it, there must be a reason … “I remember” opens up so much to me, place touch sound smell, sexuality, everything.

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Joy Baglio's avatar

Yes, agreed! I use "I remember" very frequently too. I'm guessing you've read Joe Brainard's book I Remember, but if not, it's definitely one to check out. Pretty mind blowing what he does with that construction.

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Alex-GPT's avatar

Never even heard of it. Have to check it out now for sure

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Erik Deckers's avatar

My favorite literary shoehorn when starting a blog post for a client is "Look, stupid. . ." Whenever I'm stuck for an opening lede, I write that and then say the thing I want Stupid to know. Everything just flows out of that.

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Joy Baglio's avatar

Love that one, Erik! It's all about what gets the flow to happen! :)

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