Michael Lee West

[CENTER]Sometimes I get caught up in the gravitational force of writing, and I don't want it to stop. If I slow down and look for the right word or image, I might lose momentum.
It's too risky, so I use "markers," plain old nouns that keep the work flowing.[/CENTER]

[CENTER]For example, if a character sits in a chair, the image might not come right away; I won't stop and paint a word picture; I'll just write "chair" and move on.[/CENTER]

[CENTER]A writer's subconscious loves to ponder details. [/CENTER]

[CENTER]Just like in real life, a fictional chair isn't just a chair.[/CENTER]

[CENTER]It can be weather-beaten...[/CENTER]

[CENTER][URL="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uxMW0xLYLmQ/Tfj_PgT0IqI/AAAAAAAAAaw/oJb1ZyyjgII/s1600/dreamstime_870792.jpg"][IMG]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uxMW0xLYLmQ/Tfj_PgT0IqI/AAAAAAAAAaw/oJb1ZyyjgII/s640/dreamstime_870792.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/CENTER]


[CENTER]French and formal...[/CENTER]

[CENTER][URL="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--rhC9vo7mDk/Tfj_RXe38bI/AAAAAAAAAa0/9XswCOBFipQ/s1600/dreamstime_2031765.jpg"][IMG]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--rhC9vo7mDk/Tfj_RXe38bI/AAAAAAAAAa0/9XswCOBFipQ/s640/dreamstime_2031765.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/CENTER]




[CENTER]Isolated...[/CENTER]

[CENTER][URL="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kS7YH0UFoFU/Tfj_UdqctNI/AAAAAAAAAa4/Y03xymF39wA/s1600/dreamstime_9865604.jpg"][IMG]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kS7YH0UFoFU/Tfj_UdqctNI/AAAAAAAAAa4/Y03xymF39wA/s640/dreamstime_9865604.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/CENTER]


[CENTER]In a daffodil field...
[URL="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KeSranwoBm0/Tfj_XLZo_4I/AAAAAAAAAa8/AtaecU5R5yU/s1600/dreamstime_9502121.jpg"][IMG]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KeSranwoBm0/Tfj_XLZo_4I/AAAAAAAAAa8/AtaecU5R5yU/s640/dreamstime_9502121.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/CENTER]


[CENTER]or a city street.
[URL="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bKpHUT3Ygpc/Tfj_ZpAoXCI/AAAAAAAAAbA/R1eyeYM3nn4/s1600/dreamstime_11798424.jpg"][IMG]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bKpHUT3Ygpc/Tfj_ZpAoXCI/AAAAAAAAAbA/R1eyeYM3nn4/s640/dreamstime_11798424.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/CENTER]




[CENTER]It can be a throne..
[URL="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gbwmsnynNa8/Tfj_hCOZXyI/AAAAAAAAAbE/aMRpO8dMtKo/s1600/shutterstock_30454147.jpg"][IMG]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gbwmsnynNa8/Tfj_hCOZXyI/AAAAAAAAAbE/aMRpO8dMtKo/s640/shutterstock_30454147.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/CENTER]



[CENTER]It can be twiggy and overlook a graveyard...[/CENTER]

[CENTER][URL="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lyDRbC12eqw/Tfj_j5253xI/AAAAAAAAAbI/3DGpc8fANK4/s1600/shutterstock_79061509.jpg"][IMG]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lyDRbC12eqw/Tfj_j5253xI/AAAAAAAAAbI/3DGpc8fANK4/s640/shutterstock_79061509.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/CENTER]



[CENTER]What about the season? Is it winter, near a frigid shore?
[URL="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1QiOZxI6uMo/Tfj_pyOMNgI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/1taCa3IzJdQ/s1600/shutterstock_68108716.jpg"][IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1QiOZxI6uMo/Tfj_pyOMNgI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/1taCa3IzJdQ/s640/shutterstock_68108716.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/CENTER]



[CENTER]What color is the chair? Is there more than one?[/CENTER]

[CENTER][URL="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hCTNk77wIHE/Tfj_yHwSStI/AAAAAAAAAbY/ot265aYFOjs/s1600/dreamstime_18641638.jpg"][IMG]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hCTNk77wIHE/Tfj_yHwSStI/AAAAAAAAAbY/ot265aYFOjs/s640/dreamstime_18641638.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/CENTER]


[CENTER]Later, you'll find the markers and inhabit that chair. [/CENTER]

[CENTER]And the details will come.[/CENTER]

[CENTER][/CENTER]

[CENTER]Like, a cute guy sitting in a white plastic chair. He's a jilted groom...but why is he smiling?[/CENTER]

[CENTER][URL="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ffmfuqL480A/Tfj_zFZMJHI/AAAAAAAAAbc/kWTLuGKeBx4/s1600/dreamstime_15241547.jpg"][IMG]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ffmfuqL480A/Tfj_zFZMJHI/AAAAAAAAAbc/kWTLuGKeBx4/s640/dreamstime_15241547.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times, "Times New Roman", serif]"The details are not the details. They [I]make [/I]the design." [/FONT][/COLOR][/CENTER]

[CENTER][COLOR=black][FONT=Times, "Times New Roman", serif]--Charles Eames[/FONT][/COLOR][/CENTER]





[CENTER][URL="http://www.pipermaitland.blogspot.com"]www.pipermaitland.blogspot.com[/URL][/CENTER]