Less Is More

Sometimes less is more.  

After thirty-one days of writing 500 words a day, the challenge for March will be to succinctly sum up my day in a six word sentence.  This brings a whole new meaning to creative writing.

Writing is this delicate balance of eloquently saying what needs to be said without a word more. It’s censoring the monkey mind in order to make way for Shakespeare.  

In her fabulous book Wired for Story, Lisa Crone uses brain science to describe how our brains are wired to find patterns, details, clues, and the thread weaved throughout a story that ties it all together.  

The reason we love a good book or a movie is because it gives us the essence of an experience without all the bathroom breaks, deciding what’s for dinner, snow shoveling, bill paying, bed making, commuting, working, tolerating, care-taking moments that make up the majority of our days.

If something or someone is introduced in an episode of our favorite night-time drama, there’s a reason for it.  While the action is playing out on the surface, our brains are busily working overtime to solve the mystery that those seemingly insignificant clues provide so that we might figure out whodunit before the big reveal at the end of the hour.  

  

It’s that search for meaning or relevancy that keeps us constantly attempting to make sense of random events throughout the day.  Everything happens for a reason, we tell ourselves.  Although it’s really tough to explain why the keys were in the refrigerator this morning instead of the milk.

Being the spectacular spin masters that we are, we can use our powers for good or evil.  Whether our day takes a decided turn for the better of worse can be attributed to something that was said or done, lost or found, noticed or ignored. 

Catching ourselves in the act of twizzling (a word I’m adapting from  ice dancing moves that sounds more thrilling than simply spinning) we have a better chance of keeping our daily dramas in check so we might better capture the core of our day in six superb words.

I’m not a stickler for six words.  You might choose seven, eight, or four (like Patti Digh in her fabulous book Four Word Self Help).  You might need several sentences. Like that 70s game show Name That Tune, challenge yourself to name your day in as few words as possible.

I’m so excited about this new challenge I’ll give you a preview today.  Since I am heading to a place that does not require pink coveralls, ice cleats, or coats of any color and I’m not sure how much internet access I will have in the next week, we'll let the excitement build and start in March. 

Here are some examples... 

No snow in Sun City so ....   (six word summary or cliff hanger)

Sunshine. No snow.  Must go. Now.  (six words/several sentences)

Arizona  (why write six words when one word says it all?)

Of course, you can start now and post your six word summaries below.