Love it. This sounds like what my favorite writing teacher, Jack Grapes, calls "psychological time" as part of his Method Writing methodology. I paraphrase Jack here
'The image can be very short or can expand to fill several paragraphs—or pages—depending on how much psychological time we want to create for the reader. The more words you use describing an Image, the more psychological time is created, the longer it takes the reader to read the Image, and the more dramatic tension is created in the reader's mind.'
I’m using Image here to refer to what Jack calls "Image-Moment" that forms a picture in the reader's mind made up of what he calls Set, Set Dressing, Mood, Props, Physical Description, Costume, Commentary, and Exposition. I highly recommend his book: Method Writing https://bookshop.org/a/96231/9780941017251
I like the accordion analogy. My favourite slow piece of writing was a chapter by Steinbeck describing a tortoise crossing a road. It was never boring.
Thank you, Ann. Steinbeck's chapter (which I also love) is a different study in pacing. It is an example of drawing the accordion out on a moment, but even then the scene has movement (peace, threat, aftermath, and a restoration of peace). Zooming in to the point that we see a tortoise's yellow toenails slipping in the dust is about as close to the bone as we get.
After my reply to you (yes, it should have been before) I suddenly wondered if I had remembered correctly and put something into google to check. I was pleased to discover that I was right. I was told that the chapter was symbolic of the joads journey which I didn’t get at all. BUT I read that book age 16 which was a very long time ago- and on my own ( no class). I think it is great that I remembered it all these years. It taught me that you can write about anything if you’re a good writer.
Love it. This sounds like what my favorite writing teacher, Jack Grapes, calls "psychological time" as part of his Method Writing methodology. I paraphrase Jack here
'The image can be very short or can expand to fill several paragraphs—or pages—depending on how much psychological time we want to create for the reader. The more words you use describing an Image, the more psychological time is created, the longer it takes the reader to read the Image, and the more dramatic tension is created in the reader's mind.'
Thanks, Bowen. I'd add that it's not just the image -- it's the scene, the place and time, the whole encounter, that can expand or contract.
I’m using Image here to refer to what Jack calls "Image-Moment" that forms a picture in the reader's mind made up of what he calls Set, Set Dressing, Mood, Props, Physical Description, Costume, Commentary, and Exposition. I highly recommend his book: Method Writing https://bookshop.org/a/96231/9780941017251
I like the accordion analogy. My favourite slow piece of writing was a chapter by Steinbeck describing a tortoise crossing a road. It was never boring.
Thank you, Ann. Steinbeck's chapter (which I also love) is a different study in pacing. It is an example of drawing the accordion out on a moment, but even then the scene has movement (peace, threat, aftermath, and a restoration of peace). Zooming in to the point that we see a tortoise's yellow toenails slipping in the dust is about as close to the bone as we get.
After my reply to you (yes, it should have been before) I suddenly wondered if I had remembered correctly and put something into google to check. I was pleased to discover that I was right. I was told that the chapter was symbolic of the joads journey which I didn’t get at all. BUT I read that book age 16 which was a very long time ago- and on my own ( no class). I think it is great that I remembered it all these years. It taught me that you can write about anything if you’re a good writer.
I love this accordion concept and will think about it when I write, or next time I sit in a cafe with someone. Thank you!
Cheers! I'd love to hear any new insights this opens up.
I just read thru the firefighting essay, and it was enjoyable to imagine the accordion inhale and exhale its air. Thanks for this insight!
Cheers! Glad it landed