The silence that comes with days of more dark than light offers more than hibernation. I’ve learned to look for still moments in my life and try to translate them into my writing. So often, in stories, these moments are called transitions as if they are simple corridors to the next big scene. But in the hands of a writer who works with pacing, they can function as out-of-time occurrences that help us understand subtle and complicated currents.
In The Two Towers, nearly at the center of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, a quiet, nearly still moment occurs between the bitter adversaries Gollum and Sam. Frodo, the main character, sleeps while they goad each other about the idea of helping. Each begins in their own way to find and prepare food. Their ideas conflict, but the actions are simple, and it’s maybe the only time that Sam can see Gollum as his former self, Smeagol. While they go about their tasks, the rest of Middle Earth is on the verge of collapse, and everything depends on them. Yet at the epicenter of this maelstrom, these two focus on nothing more than rabbits and potatoes. In a storyline of tremendous plot developments, Tolkien gives them this brief, uneventful interlude, because he knew his characters needed this respite. We readers need it too. And Tolkien needed it most of all. Of course, the fire that Sam builds for cooking leads to their discover, because the plot does have to move on. But a writer needs to recognize when it’s time to hold back and gather their story-telling forces so that they can send their characters forward into the most difficult choices. Sam, Gollum, and Frodo are facing the onslaught of Middle Earth’s darkest forces. They and we need to be grounded before they are plunged forward. In your writing life, see what these silences allow you to hear, see what the calm reveals. A driven poem or novel often asks for its opposite to prove its authentic pace. Lift the pressure for a moment, and see what shows itself in the smallest breathing space. The active world should suspend in a writer’s hands to give characters, readers, the writer the chance to find hidden truths. Cherish the motionless silence that names nothing but can mean everything.
Upcoming Events
Cabin Fever Workshop! Feeling confined? Need a winter boost? Join me for a two-day, in-person, open-genre, all-out spree of writing what’s bottled up, weighed down, air-deprived and waiting to be released. We will meet in Amherst, Massachusetts on February 21st & 22nd and write in response to prompts that can only be delivered in person. We will follow the Amherst Writers & Artists workshop method of trust and respect; writers of all experience levels are welcome; space limited. Cost: $300. Information: maureen@maureenbjones.com
Podcast Interview
Amherst Writers & Artists has launched its podcast The Creative Pen, with host Ginger Rex! Ginger invited me as the first guest to talk about the AWA Workshop Method and how it delivers a way for all writers to find their truest voice. Listen here: https://open.substack.com/pub/amherstwriters/p/the-creative-pen?r=2h8wen&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web×tamp=37.3
Prompt Photo
