All language subtitles for Masterclass Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing - 11.Revealing the World Through Sensory Imagery

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I think a lot of people see
things in quite general terms.

That is, they see a tree
and they say, it's a tree.

So you might just try
a few meditations.

Take a tree, what kind of
tree is it, just for starters.

Take a tree, what kind of
tree is it, just for starters.

How is it growing?

Where is it growing?

What state is it in--

because everything
is particular.

We had a lecture
once from a couple

of people who were
high-functioning autistics.

And one of them said-- in
fact, it was Temple Grandin.

She said, it's no point saying
to me, I'm at the airport.

She said, it's no point saying
to me, I'm at the airport.

I'll meet you at
the luggage rack.

Which luggage rack?

Well, it has to be
that luggage rack.

So some exercises in
observing the particular,

the particular tree,
the particular sidewalk,

the particular piece of
lawn that you're looking at,

the particular individual
that you're looking at.

I think we do tend to
generalize and abstract.

I think we do tend to
generalize and abstract.

So instead of a middle-aged
lady, which middle-aged lady?

The stupid young jerk--

which, and in what way?

Well, what do we mean by that?

We're very fond of
labeling and abstracting.

But that doesn't work
very well in fiction.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Moving up to the next
level, texture of meanings.

So the different
senses, sight, sound.

Smell, something that
the movies can't do.

They can't do
smelling yet and we

ought to be grateful for that.

So sight, smell,
taste, sound-- touch,

something else the
movies can't do.

Textures of fabrics-- when you
look at different languages,

Textures of fabrics-- when you
look at different languages,

you will find that some
of them are very specific.

There are very
specific vocabularies

for certain types
of texture and look,

that they do just with one word.

So Japanese, for instance, is
very interested in textures

of cloth.

And they have one
word that means

the texture of a piece of white
silk, bleached, on the snow.

the texture of a piece of white
silk, bleached, on the snow.

These are the things
that fill our world--

smooth table, slightly rougher
book, shiny piece of glass.

Everything is quite
shiny around here.

This is leather.

There's some ornate
things on top of it.

So how much of that
do you want to put in?

Hot, cold, warm, humid,
dry, all of those things,

Hot, cold, warm, humid,
dry, all of those things,

that's the world we live in.

So you're situating your
characters in this world.

You probably want your
texture surrounding them

to be meaningful in some way.

One way of honing your
sensory perception

is to block off
some of the senses.

And then see what the
remaining ones pick up.

And then see what the
remaining ones pick up.

And you can enhance your
sensory perception in one area

by closing off the other ones.

So if you're doing a
night journey, filled

with possible trolls,
presumably you're

going to have your
character be very alert.

They're going to be
very alert to sounds.

In particular, they're going
to be very alert to light.

In particular, they're going
to be very alert to light.

There won't be much of it.

But what can they see?

Is there a looming shadow?

Is there a smell that indicates
a foreign presence is nearby?

Do they hear the howling of
a supernatural wolf, just

for instance?

Has somebody made a
creaking noise on the stair?

You get very alert
at such times.

You get very alert
at such times.

So all of these sensations
are feeding in to us,

we human beings, all the time.

You don't really notice them
unless you have a reason to.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

So now I'm going
to read a passage

from the "Handmaid's
Tale," which

is a description of the game
of Scrabble, deeply forbidden

is a description of the game
of Scrabble, deeply forbidden

in this world.

"We play two games.

Larynx, I spell.

Valance.

Quince.

Zygote.

I hold the glossy counters
with their smooth edges,

finger the letters.

The feeling is voluptuous.

This is freedom,
an eyeblink of it.

Limp, I spell.

Gorge.

What a luxury.

The counters are like
candies, made of peppermint,

The counters are like
candies, made of peppermint,

cool like that.

Humbugs, those were called.

I would like to put
them into my mouth.

They would taste also of lime.

The letter C. Crisp, slightly
acid on the tongue, delicious."

What was happening
in that passage

was that our central
character has

been invited into a forbidden
place, namely the office

of the commander,
thinking that she

of the commander,
thinking that she

is being asked in for
sexually forbidden reasons.

But, in fact, what he wants to
do is play a game of Scrabble

with her because that is
now such a forbidden thing.

In this world, women
are not allowed to read.

So she's being given a forbidden
pleasure and something that

would ordinarily just
not be noticed very much,

namely the Scrabble counters,
and the letters, and the words.

This has become infused with
forbidden and luxurious meaning

This has become infused with
forbidden and luxurious meaning

for her.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I once had somebody ask me in
a question and answer period,

why are there so many
bathtubs in your work?

And I had someone else say,
why are there so many glass

jars in your work?

So I hadn't been that conscious
of the bathtubs or the glass

jars.

But somebody had been
reading in an in-depth way,

But somebody had been
reading in an in-depth way,

and decided that these bathtubs
and glass jars had a hidden

symbolic meaning.

In the "Handmaids Tale,"
there are a lot of flowers.

They're there for a reason.

And they repeat in
different variations.

So they can be
pictures on a wall.

They can be flowers in a garden.

They can be flowers in a garden.

So the floral
imagery is conscious,

as it would have been.

So flowers always have
to do with fertility.

And so does fruit in a bowl.

But flowers are often mistaken
for something that is harmless.

They're flowers.

They're sort of pretty.

They're delicate.

They've got, you know--

They've got, you know--

they're sort of girly.

And they appear to be safe.

This is not true of flowers.

And it is certainly not true
of the women in the book.

They're not delicate,
and pretty, and safe.

They're quite a lot more
energetic than that.

And so are flowers.

I think you should just remember
that readers will assume

I think you should just remember
that readers will assume

that everything you
have put on the page

is there for a purpose.