Sunday, January 17, 2010

Why I Write

I used to think I did it because it's the only thing that I'm good at. And although that's somewhat true, I don't think it's the actual reason.

Another reason is that I get depressed when I go through a period of time without writing.

But here is the most significant reason:

I have done a writing exercise called "I remember" a number of times in classes where I was a student as well as a teacher. For the exercise, I would write "I remember" before each sentence and write about memories from my past. By doing this exercises, I have thought of things I have not remembered for years. Some of them I haven't remembered since they happened.

And this is related to the reason why I write. I never know what's going to be transferred from my brain and onto the screen (or the page). And it is always exciting to find out.

6 comments:

C>>> said...

I remember eating at Red Lobster for the first time and being not far from Magic Mountain and eating calamari, which I'd never eaten before, and being impressed with the general atmosphere of the evening.

Chris Bowsman said...

I remember shoplifting GI Joe figures when I was 10, and thinking it was really weird that two adult guys with long hair and jean jackets were hanging out in the toy dept. They turned out to be undercover security guys who promptly busted me.

Only other time I shoplifted, I was 19, drunk, and stole a bottle of superglue because the line at the store was really long.

Julie T. Ewald said...

What a great, simple exercise! May I borrow it (and link to you, of course)?

I remember the first time I saw my current apartment, exhausted from over sixteen hours of travel, aghast and terrified at the gigantic locks on the inside of the door, worried about what I got myself into.

Bradley Sands said...

Be my guest, Julie. I think Joe Brainard came up with it originally.

Anonymous said...

I remember being nine and grabbing a bunch of toys that I found to just look amazing and bringing them to the counter at store found on a family vacation. They were colorful snails that had another wrapped tow hugged inside of them. They were cheap.

My father was quick to correct me as the guy behind the counter laughed. The toy inside the snails were condoms.

Jason Gusmann said...

wow. i just find memories to be painful, mostly. i use writing to create alternate events that don't hurt as much. wah wah wah.