It Seemed So Real

Exercise: Daydreaming
http://www.dailywriting.net/Daydreaming.htm
complete February 21, 2006
all images collected from the internet

I’m reading a book by Barbara Sher called, ‘ Live the Life You Love’. It’s got some good advice and great writing exercises and one in particular has turned out to be a favorite of mine.

The exercise is called, “ Gather Your Allies “ and what you do is chose your very own support team. Your team can be made up of anyone living or dead. They can even be fictional characters or animals.

I chose Mae West, Vincent Price and Rod Serling.

When I get stuck in a story I ask Vincent to read back what I’ve written. We go over plots and ideas sometimes he even acts out parts. The thing is I have someone to help me visualize my story. It’s like watching a movie. All I have to do is listen and watch.



Then there’s Rod, I ask him for ideas. It’s begging really but hey, he can leave whenever he wants! Seriously, That’s my own Twilight Zone and I’m glad its there. This is where I go for my inspiration.

Now Mae…where does she fit? You might not know this but she use to write her own material and she was her own woman and she lived and played (very hard by the way) by her own rules. When I do well I can see her there saying, “ Kiddo, you got it.” When I do something gutsy like writing an weird story or when I went for the job in a funeral home or when I undertook anything else labeled “ non-traditional “ I saw that smile and I heard that voice and I knew to go for it because I knew I was on the right track.


Mae hasn’t failed me yet.

So when I see Vincent looking through the library at Riversleigh with a wicked grin on his face or when I can hear Rod say something like ‘ have you really thought about that shed behind the manor…I mean really thought about what could be out there? “ Or when I sit down and I can see Mae standing next to me watching me write with approval and pride well, you could say I’m talking to myself or that I’m daydreaming.

I think it’s more then that.

This style of ‘guided imagery’ or ‘daydreaming’ has become a part of my creative process and it works, it inspires me and somehow it’s made me feel more confident about myself.

It’s funny because now when I just let my imagination run wild and I go off and hunt monsters and sail pirate ships and explore abandoned insane asylums with my cat Wolfgang there’s been a huge change in the person going on those journeys.

Since I gathered my allies I see myself having those adventures now: not a new and improved Anita or the Anita I wished I could be.

I see the Anita that looks at me in my mirror every morning when I brush my teeth.

I’m not sure when it happened but my allies and my daydreams have taught me to like myself a lot more then I use to.

Unreal…isn’t it?