Original subtitles

[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.