Writing Tip & Compost: I touch

March 5th, 2008

Ah, those sensory details … it's often difficult to remember that we have five (or maybe more) senses. Our default is sight, our strongest sense as humans, but it's good to practice writing about experiences through another sense.  Here's a piece I wrote using the phrase "I touch" to begin most sentences. Try it yourself … (maybe even share)

I touch my leg that has a big bad owie on it, because some time ago I fell through rotten wood and got a difficult infection which mangled the skin on my leg so now it looks like corrugated tin, knobby and ridged, radiating old pain and ugliness. I touch my leg anyway because I am trying to love it again – after all, it wasn’t my leg’s fault it got infected by that rotten flesh-eating bug. I picture that bug as a hairy little ugly with an evil leering grin, my masticated flesh drooling and dripping from his jaws. But that was years ago so that bug is long gone now and what is left is my left leg crying for love, so I touch it soft and tender and sing an old hymn, Amazing Grace, because my leg informs me it especially likes that song.

One Response to “Writing Tip & Compost: I touch”

  1. Anne Lindsay Says:

    I hear that you have a new blog. Of course an audiable rendition of this would be great for those who can’t see. I wonder if they have that technology yet. They may.

    I listen to books on tape all the time. It’s a wonderful way to wile away the time on a long drive. My family had an audiable fest all the way from Seattle to Pismo Beach California Beach last summer. Our book was the Golden Compas. The amazing thing was we started the book in Seattle and it amazingly ended in the parking lot of the condo we were we were stay. We rolled in and voala it was done. Listen!

    Thanks Kim!
    Anne
    http://www.annelindsayphotography.com

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