1 00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:04,970 [MUSIC PLAYING] 2 00:00:13,870 --> 00:00:18,840 I think a lot of people see things in quite general terms. 3 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,770 That is, they see a tree and they say, it's a tree. 4 00:00:22,770 --> 00:00:27,680 So you might just try a few meditations. 5 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:30,000 Take a tree, what kind of tree is it, just for starters. 6 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,580 Take a tree, what kind of tree is it, just for starters. 7 00:00:33,580 --> 00:00:34,570 How is it growing? 8 00:00:34,570 --> 00:00:37,450 Where is it growing? 9 00:00:37,450 --> 00:00:39,970 What state is it in-- 10 00:00:39,970 --> 00:00:45,740 because everything is particular. 11 00:00:45,740 --> 00:00:48,240 We had a lecture once from a couple 12 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:53,030 of people who were high-functioning autistics. 13 00:00:53,030 --> 00:00:57,570 And one of them said-- in fact, it was Temple Grandin. 14 00:00:57,570 --> 00:01:00,000 She said, it's no point saying to me, I'm at the airport. 15 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:00,755 She said, it's no point saying to me, I'm at the airport. 16 00:01:00,755 --> 00:01:02,860 I'll meet you at the luggage rack. 17 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:07,510 Which luggage rack? 18 00:01:07,510 --> 00:01:10,150 Well, it has to be that luggage rack. 19 00:01:10,150 --> 00:01:15,070 So some exercises in observing the particular, 20 00:01:15,070 --> 00:01:17,780 the particular tree, the particular sidewalk, 21 00:01:17,780 --> 00:01:21,560 the particular piece of lawn that you're looking at, 22 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:26,460 the particular individual that you're looking at. 23 00:01:26,460 --> 00:01:30,000 I think we do tend to generalize and abstract. 24 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:32,200 I think we do tend to generalize and abstract. 25 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:40,210 So instead of a middle-aged lady, which middle-aged lady? 26 00:01:40,210 --> 00:01:42,470 The stupid young jerk-- 27 00:01:42,470 --> 00:01:45,910 which, and in what way? 28 00:01:45,910 --> 00:01:47,950 Well, what do we mean by that? 29 00:01:47,950 --> 00:01:52,160 We're very fond of labeling and abstracting. 30 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,790 But that doesn't work very well in fiction. 31 00:01:54,790 --> 00:01:57,610 [MUSIC PLAYING] 32 00:02:00,900 --> 00:02:07,000 Moving up to the next level, texture of meanings. 33 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:13,060 So the different senses, sight, sound. 34 00:02:13,060 --> 00:02:16,830 Smell, something that the movies can't do. 35 00:02:16,830 --> 00:02:18,450 They can't do smelling yet and we 36 00:02:18,450 --> 00:02:20,790 ought to be grateful for that. 37 00:02:20,790 --> 00:02:26,460 So sight, smell, taste, sound-- touch, 38 00:02:26,460 --> 00:02:29,920 something else the movies can't do. 39 00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:30,000 Textures of fabrics-- when you look at different languages, 40 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:35,460 Textures of fabrics-- when you look at different languages, 41 00:02:35,460 --> 00:02:38,440 you will find that some of them are very specific. 42 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,050 There are very specific vocabularies 43 00:02:42,050 --> 00:02:46,700 for certain types of texture and look, 44 00:02:46,700 --> 00:02:49,060 that they do just with one word. 45 00:02:49,060 --> 00:02:52,750 So Japanese, for instance, is very interested in textures 46 00:02:52,750 --> 00:02:54,520 of cloth. 47 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:56,830 And they have one word that means 48 00:02:56,830 --> 00:03:00,000 the texture of a piece of white silk, bleached, on the snow. 49 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,680 the texture of a piece of white silk, bleached, on the snow. 50 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,950 These are the things that fill our world-- 51 00:03:05,950 --> 00:03:15,700 smooth table, slightly rougher book, shiny piece of glass. 52 00:03:15,700 --> 00:03:18,990 Everything is quite shiny around here. 53 00:03:18,990 --> 00:03:20,500 This is leather. 54 00:03:20,500 --> 00:03:23,950 There's some ornate things on top of it. 55 00:03:23,950 --> 00:03:27,120 So how much of that do you want to put in? 56 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:30,000 Hot, cold, warm, humid, dry, all of those things, 57 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,350 Hot, cold, warm, humid, dry, all of those things, 58 00:03:33,350 --> 00:03:35,330 that's the world we live in. 59 00:03:35,330 --> 00:03:38,860 So you're situating your characters in this world. 60 00:03:38,860 --> 00:03:44,970 You probably want your texture surrounding them 61 00:03:44,970 --> 00:03:47,710 to be meaningful in some way. 62 00:03:47,710 --> 00:03:53,870 One way of honing your sensory perception 63 00:03:53,870 --> 00:03:57,050 is to block off some of the senses. 64 00:03:57,050 --> 00:04:00,000 And then see what the remaining ones pick up. 65 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:00,710 And then see what the remaining ones pick up. 66 00:04:00,710 --> 00:04:06,650 And you can enhance your sensory perception in one area 67 00:04:06,650 --> 00:04:10,790 by closing off the other ones. 68 00:04:10,790 --> 00:04:14,650 So if you're doing a night journey, filled 69 00:04:14,650 --> 00:04:19,660 with possible trolls, presumably you're 70 00:04:19,660 --> 00:04:22,510 going to have your character be very alert. 71 00:04:22,510 --> 00:04:25,810 They're going to be very alert to sounds. 72 00:04:25,810 --> 00:04:30,000 In particular, they're going to be very alert to light. 73 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,410 In particular, they're going to be very alert to light. 74 00:04:32,410 --> 00:04:33,700 There won't be much of it. 75 00:04:33,700 --> 00:04:35,950 But what can they see? 76 00:04:35,950 --> 00:04:38,560 Is there a looming shadow? 77 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:46,870 Is there a smell that indicates a foreign presence is nearby? 78 00:04:46,870 --> 00:04:54,170 Do they hear the howling of a supernatural wolf, just 79 00:04:54,170 --> 00:04:55,970 for instance? 80 00:04:55,970 --> 00:04:59,740 Has somebody made a creaking noise on the stair? 81 00:04:59,740 --> 00:05:00,000 You get very alert at such times. 82 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,410 You get very alert at such times. 83 00:05:03,410 --> 00:05:10,250 So all of these sensations are feeding in to us, 84 00:05:10,250 --> 00:05:12,330 we human beings, all the time. 85 00:05:12,330 --> 00:05:15,674 You don't really notice them unless you have a reason to. 86 00:05:15,674 --> 00:05:18,578 [MUSIC PLAYING] 87 00:05:21,970 --> 00:05:24,220 So now I'm going to read a passage 88 00:05:24,220 --> 00:05:26,230 from the "Handmaid's Tale," which 89 00:05:26,230 --> 00:05:30,000 is a description of the game of Scrabble, deeply forbidden 90 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:30,880 is a description of the game of Scrabble, deeply forbidden 91 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:32,990 in this world. 92 00:05:32,990 --> 00:05:34,720 "We play two games. 93 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:36,490 Larynx, I spell. 94 00:05:36,490 --> 00:05:37,540 Valance. 95 00:05:37,540 --> 00:05:38,710 Quince. 96 00:05:38,710 --> 00:05:40,260 Zygote. 97 00:05:40,260 --> 00:05:43,420 I hold the glossy counters with their smooth edges, 98 00:05:43,420 --> 00:05:45,130 finger the letters. 99 00:05:45,130 --> 00:05:47,800 The feeling is voluptuous. 100 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,680 This is freedom, an eyeblink of it. 101 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:52,530 Limp, I spell. 102 00:05:52,530 --> 00:05:54,070 Gorge. 103 00:05:54,070 --> 00:05:56,580 What a luxury. 104 00:05:56,580 --> 00:06:00,000 The counters are like candies, made of peppermint, 105 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:00,220 The counters are like candies, made of peppermint, 106 00:06:00,220 --> 00:06:02,170 cool like that. 107 00:06:02,170 --> 00:06:04,270 Humbugs, those were called. 108 00:06:04,270 --> 00:06:06,760 I would like to put them into my mouth. 109 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:09,550 They would taste also of lime. 110 00:06:09,550 --> 00:06:17,710 The letter C. Crisp, slightly acid on the tongue, delicious." 111 00:06:17,710 --> 00:06:19,480 What was happening in that passage 112 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:24,740 was that our central character has 113 00:06:24,740 --> 00:06:28,310 been invited into a forbidden place, namely the office 114 00:06:28,310 --> 00:06:30,000 of the commander, thinking that she 115 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:30,590 of the commander, thinking that she 116 00:06:30,590 --> 00:06:34,940 is being asked in for sexually forbidden reasons. 117 00:06:34,940 --> 00:06:38,360 But, in fact, what he wants to do is play a game of Scrabble 118 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:42,590 with her because that is now such a forbidden thing. 119 00:06:42,590 --> 00:06:45,080 In this world, women are not allowed to read. 120 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:50,060 So she's being given a forbidden pleasure and something that 121 00:06:50,060 --> 00:06:52,850 would ordinarily just not be noticed very much, 122 00:06:52,850 --> 00:06:58,640 namely the Scrabble counters, and the letters, and the words. 123 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:00,000 This has become infused with forbidden and luxurious meaning 124 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:04,430 This has become infused with forbidden and luxurious meaning 125 00:07:04,430 --> 00:07:06,892 for her. 126 00:07:06,892 --> 00:07:09,730 [MUSIC PLAYING] 127 00:07:11,630 --> 00:07:15,450 I once had somebody ask me in a question and answer period, 128 00:07:15,450 --> 00:07:19,340 why are there so many bathtubs in your work? 129 00:07:19,340 --> 00:07:22,580 And I had someone else say, why are there so many glass 130 00:07:22,580 --> 00:07:25,400 jars in your work? 131 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:28,760 So I hadn't been that conscious of the bathtubs or the glass 132 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:29,630 jars. 133 00:07:29,630 --> 00:07:30,000 But somebody had been reading in an in-depth way, 134 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:34,100 But somebody had been reading in an in-depth way, 135 00:07:34,100 --> 00:07:39,920 and decided that these bathtubs and glass jars had a hidden 136 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:43,070 symbolic meaning. 137 00:07:43,070 --> 00:07:47,690 In the "Handmaids Tale," there are a lot of flowers. 138 00:07:47,690 --> 00:07:50,250 They're there for a reason. 139 00:07:50,250 --> 00:07:55,860 And they repeat in different variations. 140 00:07:55,860 --> 00:07:58,670 So they can be pictures on a wall. 141 00:07:58,670 --> 00:08:00,000 They can be flowers in a garden. 142 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:03,740 They can be flowers in a garden. 143 00:08:03,740 --> 00:08:10,700 So the floral imagery is conscious, 144 00:08:10,700 --> 00:08:13,330 as it would have been. 145 00:08:13,330 --> 00:08:17,000 So flowers always have to do with fertility. 146 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,940 And so does fruit in a bowl. 147 00:08:19,940 --> 00:08:26,575 But flowers are often mistaken for something that is harmless. 148 00:08:26,575 --> 00:08:27,350 They're flowers. 149 00:08:27,350 --> 00:08:28,460 They're sort of pretty. 150 00:08:28,460 --> 00:08:29,360 They're delicate. 151 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:30,000 They've got, you know-- 152 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:31,220 They've got, you know-- 153 00:08:31,220 --> 00:08:34,370 they're sort of girly. 154 00:08:34,370 --> 00:08:36,840 And they appear to be safe. 155 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:40,100 This is not true of flowers. 156 00:08:40,100 --> 00:08:45,980 And it is certainly not true of the women in the book. 157 00:08:45,980 --> 00:08:52,160 They're not delicate, and pretty, and safe. 158 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,560 They're quite a lot more energetic than that. 159 00:08:55,560 --> 00:08:58,430 And so are flowers. 160 00:08:58,430 --> 00:09:00,000 I think you should just remember that readers will assume 161 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:05,000 I think you should just remember that readers will assume 162 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:06,950 that everything you have put on the page 163 00:09:06,950 --> 00:09:09,190 is there for a purpose.