Writing In Practice

The last four posts have been instructional - more a "how to" than a "look at what I did" - but today is all about what I did!  

Writing has always been an outlet for me and not all the time is it dedicated to my anxiety.  In fact, most of the time I am doing it out of pure pleasure. Recently, I wrote a review for a new television series that I highly recommend and in an effort to provide you with an example of some of what I produce when throwing my pen to page, I am posting it here for you to enjoy. 

Fear The Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman’s Zombie World Continues to Thrive.

Imagine waking up tomorrow morning to the sight of one friend gnawing enthusiastically on the jawbone of another, or your neighbour’s husband chasing her across the yard in a bloody attempt to relieve her of a leg – using his teeth. Imagine this, and, if you still manage to keep your breakfast down, you are exactly the fan-base creators, Robert Kirkman and Dave Erickson, are looking for with their new AMC series, Fear The Walking Dead (FTWD).  

The network sibling to Kirkman’s highly successful The Walking Dead (TWD), Fear The Walking Dead explores events during the first six weeks of a zombie apocalypse that is the epicentre of both series. Focusing on the fractured lives of three families, Robert Kirkman and Dave Erickson wanted to develop a storyline that exposed the realities and deep fissures of urban life while detailing with colour the inevitable decay of that civilization. 

Did they succeed?  Absolutely, yes!  

Part horror, part drama, FTWD not only successfully, but perfectly marries the traditional rules of a zombie apocalypse with the familiarity and pace of a modern and urban setting. What is most impressive about FTWD is its ability to maintain this realist perspective while adhering faithfully to the very fantastical aspects of the horror genre.  How does it succeed?  Simply put: because Adam Davidson is directing.  

Davidson borrows an old-school approach to the horror genre, relying on the tension of potential doom, as opposed to the presence of actual doom: It is not the sight of zombies and death that makes the fear real for viewers.  Instead it is the soundtrack; initially upbeat and in keeping with today’s music, it smoothly eases into a more suggestive soundtrack that begins to echo, distort, and fade as the scene builds to a potentially horrific crescendo.  As an audience member, you don’t need to see a rotting, moving corpse amongst rioting civilians to understand that the riot itself is not the scariest thing around.  The music tells you as much.  

In fact, the strength of this show – what sets it apart from its flagship series , The Walking Dead – is the fact that it does not depend upon the overt presence of blood, gore and zombies to keep its audience. Instead it relies upon a balance between new and interesting characters and an original take on an old theme.  

Now, to be clear, there are zombies, there is violence, gore and a solid amount of scares, but it is all so fluid in relation to the storyline itself.  It does not dominate the action.  It supports the action; it propels it forward.   

We watch as Nick and his mom try to kick start an at-home rehab program only to find their supply of pain meds frustrated by a growing “flu epidemic” that is effectively shutting down pharmacies and hospitals alike.  Their solution and means of acquiring the needed medication rests solely on the behaviours of modern society and would exist whether the zombies did or not.   

The brilliance behind this series is that, while it takes place during a zombie invasion, it revolves entirely around the basic everyday complexities of our modern world, such as addiction, divorce, diversity and a growing concern for violence in the schools.    

That being said, the one flaw FTWD does have, not unlike many films and television shows, is that it sometimes forgets we are an audience of sophisticated viewers, many of whom have a long history with zombie and horror genres. We are easily annoyed by foolish character moves or intrusive dramatic scenes.  The creators will need to keep this in mind if they want to avoid annoying their viewers.  

For example, the scene in which Travis Clark decides to investigate a potential crime in a condemned drug den at night, as opposed to during the day when he first learns about it. This cannot happen often; audiences will not tolerate it.  I would like to see the writers appreciate that their audience is more experienced than to accept that. 

While it has been said many times by the creators of Fear The Walking Dead, there will be no crossover from TWD. However, FTWD will catch up to the timeline eventually; at which point it will be interesting to see if the series can maintain its independence.  

Still, despite these flaws and the incredibly high standards and expectations of a sophisticated fan base, Kirkman and Erickson have created a horrifically fabulous new view into the world of the walking dead. Tuning into this action-packed adventure, entering into the urban world of the undead, is sure to delight loyal fans of The Walking Dead series and successfully entice new fans to join both adventures.

Photo Credit: Maciej Pawlik


JENN FRYER

Jenn ‘Niffer’ Fryer is a mother, a wife and a writer, enthusiastically scribing her way through life as it continues to entertain her pen.  Currently in her second year at Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program, Jennifer is actively putting her skills as a writer to positive and affecting use, both in her community and beyond.

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The Rule of Three

Have you ever heard of the rule of three?  Some refer to it as the power of three and aside from the Christian based connotations – such as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – there is a favoured principle of behaviour and thought that exists here.  

Consider the socially expressed idea that some things happen in threes or the predominant choice for three-standing awards: first, second, and third.  It has been used effectively to define time: past, present, and future or beginning, middle, and end. It has been used deliberately in literature where balanced perspective plays an important role in the stories being told: Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Amigos, and the three witches in Macbeth.  Three has come to represent harmony, balance and even wisdom.  All three of which are supportive skills to put into practice when writing through anxiety. 

There is a writing principle that is founded upon the notion of rule of three.  It states that things are “inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective” when displayed in sets of three’s.  When ideas are presented in groups of three they provide a pattern and a rhythm that better allows the audience to take in what is being said.  In my experience, and even in habit, I have found this to be very true.

In fact, without meaning to, I have captured my thoughts in bulleted points of three quite often.  Sometimes to the point of frustration, where any attempt to move onto a fourth is incredibly uncomfortable.  Three has a special effect on much of what my pen capture on a page.  I long ago embraced its influence when trying to write through my more anxious thoughts and moments.  It has brought calm to the chaos in my head more times that I can count.  

Would you like to give it a try?  Pull out your pen and paper.  Find that quiet space and breathe deeply.  Then press play on the link below, which will provide you with 3 hours of beautiful calming music to help centre your thoughts.  Once you feel yourself focusing more on yourself, once you grow unaware of your surroundings, start to write by answering these three questions (below) and see if they lead you anywhere interesting.     

1.    What are the three predominant thoughts in your mind at this moment?
2.    List three moments that made you smile today.
3.    What three ways can you help to strengthen yourself for tomorrow?

Photo Credit: Melodi2                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Video Credit: Meditation Relax Music


JENN FRYER

Jenn ‘Niffer’ Fryer is a mother, a wife and a writer, enthusiastically scribing her way through life as it continues to entertain her pen.  Currently in her second year at Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program, Jennifer is actively putting her skills as a writer to positive and affecting use, both in her community and beyond.

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Healing Words

I am not a diary keeper.  I mean, I have written diary-like stuff, many times, but I suck at keeping an actual diary.  Lord knows I have tried and there is a large stack of empty journals in my cupboard to prove it.  But it never became my thing; it’s just not me.  

Instead, I have always written down my thoughts randomly, according to no other schedule than simple personal urge.  I throw what is in my head onto scraps of paper or into electronic files. More often than not, I lose them or forget about them very soon thereafter.  It is how my mind works.  Thoughts and emotions fly in, thoughts and emotions fly out.  But it works for me and when I manage to write them down, my thoughts fly faster and freer every time. 

Did you know there is a direct relationship between writing down thoughts and feelings and your ability to manage those often confusing and painful burdens?  James W. Pennebaker, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas in Austin, and his team of researchers have been studying the connection between writing and health for many years and have shown that writing has the potential of improving emotional, biological and even behavioural functioning for those who make use of this tool.  In keeping secrets, or suppressing our thoughts and feelings, we cultivate physical and emotional stress.  In writing it down, we release that stress and stand to gain perspective and, more importantly, we move closer to that place where trauma cannot rule our emotional house. 

There is fantastic book called Writing through the Darkness by Elizabeth Maynard Schaefer, Ph.D.  In it, she offers two very simple rules that I strongly recommend (there is a third, but I found it too constricting for my own practice, so I will not recommend it here):

1.      Write for yourself.  This is your shit, my friend, no one else has to see it.  Don’t check your thoughts. Don’t hold back your words.  Throw it all onto that page in raw form and embrace the experience. 

2.      If it feels threatening, then don’t write on it.  This process should never feel threatening.  Challenging?  Yes.  Threatening?  Never. 

Now I want you to go and give it a try.  Dip into your supply stash – grab that pen and paper – and take the time you need to steady your thoughts. Remember to breathe deeply, breathe slowly and just write. 

Photo Credit: Jenn Fryer 


JENN FRYER

Jenn ‘Niffer’ Fryer is a mother, a wife and a writer, enthusiastically scribing her way through life as it continues to entertain her pen.  Currently in her second year at Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program, Jennifer is actively putting her skills as a writer to positive and affecting use, both in her community and beyond.

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Letting It All Out

Today the world hated me, or at least that is what my brain kept telling me, so I hated it back.  I glared, stomped, argued, and spit my way through each hour. I mean, that is what I did until I managed to find a moment to sit and be alone with my pen.  Turns out, the problem was me all along.   

Sometimes, I just have days like that.  I will wake up from a pounding dream bleeding the anxieties of yesterday into today. I will open my eyes, only to feel the creeping tenders of anxiety tighten as they crawl their way from gut to chest.  On a good day, a long shower will be enough to refocus the negative ramble in my head.  But on a bad day, well, on a bad day things just get worse.  So, this is when I will write.

Though, let's be clear, this is also when I write crap.  Mostly self-pitying, dark, dreary crap.  But that is okay, because when I am writing during this moment, I am no longer thinking.  And when anxious thoughts pervade, not thinking is a very good thing.

When I put that pen to paper, I spew venomous, ugly words across the page.  I clear that dark cavernous dwelling in my head of feral bats and I project my crazy onto the page and soon return sanity to my world once again. 

Wanna give it a try?

It is easy, really.  Do you have that stash of pens and paper nearby?  Remember the ones I said to put by your bed, in your pocket, in your bag, and in your car?  Ya, that one. Go and get it. 

Now find yourself a quiet corner to sit in.  Just you.  Tell your friends to piss off, your cat to find a scratch post and pull the battery from your cellphone. 

Now, place your pen on the paper and close your eyes.  Take a deep breath through your nose and let it out through your mouth.  And again.  Do this for as long as it takes you to centre your attention onto those thoughts. 

Deep breath again.   

When you are ready, open your eyes without looking around you.  Look only at your paper and pen maintaining that centred focus on your thoughts. 

Take another deep breath, let it out and breathe in again. 

Now, when you are ready, when you can feel the words start to vibrate the tip of your pen, I want you to write.  Let that pen run wild across the page.  Don’t force it, but do let it go when it is ready. And, for gosh sakes, don’t stop until your pen slows and your mind quiets. Then breathe again. 

Feel the difference?

Photo Credit: Marek Bernat


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Jenn Fryer

Jenn ‘Niffer’ Fryer is a mother, a wife and a writer, enthusiastically scribing her way through life as it continues to entertain her pen.  Currently in her second year at Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program, Jennifer is actively putting her skills as a writer to positive and affecting use, both in her community and beyond.

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Oh, My Anxious Pen!

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When I was 11, I wrote my first poem. It wasn’t very good; Roses are red, daisies are white, I like you, both day and night.  It was simple, young, and entirely in reference to a crush. At the time, I just wanted tell someone, but there was no one I trusted. So, when I wrote those words down and felt relieved of my secret, I entered into what would become one of the healthiest relationships of my life. 

Over the years, writing replaced the potential of a blade and the oblivion of a bottle.  It protected my loved ones from the wounds of words best unspoken.  It also stood strong when others could not, filtering through the confusing fog of anxiety and depression.

It was never a cure, but it became an analgesic. Whether it was the back of an old receipt or the smooth order of a lined 8.5 by 11 inch page, writing became my coping tool. 

Turns out, my pen made for a great listener.  And sometimes, that is all a person needs.

There is no single rule to writing through the anxious moments.  You simply find your groove through a series of trials and errors.  I write at different times of day, in different locations, and use different pens.  What I am doing today may not work for me tomorrow.  The only constancy to what I do is the writing itself. 

Still, if you are looking to make a go of it, here are some approaches that have worked for me:

Stash the supplies!  I have an impressive collection of notebooks and dollar-store pens.  They are found in my pocket/bag/purse, on my bedside table, and more than a few inside my car. 

Consider how and when your anxiety, panic or depression affects you.  Do you wake up with an anxious hangover from a long night of dreams?  Does your mind ramble throughout the day?  Or do you hold it all in until night falls and you are left alone to battle the backlash?  Your answer will dictate when you write.

Whatever you do, just remember to write.  When I start to feel the acidic rise of emotion in my stomach, or the pierce of fingernails through skin, I remove myself from the immediacy of the moment and write. I don’t worry about spelling.  I use swear words and I ramble across that page until I feel the release. Only once the panic eases, when the desire to scream settles, only then do I settle my pen as well. 

As Brenda Ueland, creativity coach and author of If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit, once wrote, “be bold, be free and truthful." Don’t hold back.  Just let your thoughts flow through your pen and see if this is therapy for you too.

Photo Credit: Jenn Fryer


Jenn Fryer

Jenn ‘Niffer’ Fryer is a mother, a wife and a writer, enthusiastically scribing her way through life as it continues to entertain her pen.  Currently in her second year at Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program, Jennifer is actively putting her skills as a writer to positive and affecting use, both in her community and beyond.

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