Focus, the Sorcerer

I’m taking a class at the community college, Movie Going as Memoir. As with most things I start that don’t seem to make sense, intuition got me there. Our first assignment – think about a movie that was meaningful to us as a child or adolescent that we haven’t seen since, and free associate on the experience seeing the film. Having engaged in personal inquiry for 35 years, I’ve re-watched nearly all of the films that stuck with me, either for story or images. The same reason I reread childhood books. . for a glimpse inside myself or my life at that age.

I didn’t jump on the assignment. The week turned intense. Long satisfying meetings and new connections. Tech snaffus. Creating and launching really cool projects. Two hours before class I got to it. I free associated, but the juice that emerged clearly wasn’t in the assignment.

I explored my history with movies and film, starting at age 3. Heidi, the little girl so like myself who lived in a different world. ‘Fantasia’s’ sorcerer’s apprentice. The unstoppable brooms, the waves, and magical night all coming alive with agency of their own. I moved to those Saturday mornings at age 6 I was dropped off at the big, dark theatre for double features. Then the Saturday mornings as an adolescent. My diet of movies never regulated, or even considered.

I saw how character, moments & freeze frame images, the cinematographer’s palette & tone were what stayed with me. The whole vs. specifics of the story what I remember. As Maya Angelou says, “. . .people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” My take-away is the very things I noticed and remembered as a child are the very things that inform my relationship and being as a person in the world.

I understood that the very fact I was left at such a young age to whatever showed up on the big screen,  left to make sense of the world on my own, is most likely the start of my interest in sociology, psychology, and life on earth. A fine toolbox for a writer. My piece was not so fine for the class, however.

While others shared vivid descriptions and stories of their experience with their chosen movie, I shared a too-full account of my relationship with the genre without specifics. And a too-long list of images relevant to me but not specific enough to engage them. I was talking about how I learned to assess life thru film, and it wasn’t fleshed out so they understood. I hadn’t edited. The piece wasn’t focused. I didn’t connect with the listener. . .one of the main tenets of writing. I felt chastened.

Focus is a huge gift of editing, and I got my reminder.

One could say Focus has been a theme the past two weeks, it’s popped up so often.

Three authors contacted me about it. One who’s writing a memoir, wants to know how to focus her large story. Another has boxes of files of her writing, wants to know how to approach them and organize. Another has a chapter he isn’t sure hits the marks of either his editor’s or his own intentions.

And two weeks ago, I envisioned and launched a Focus Group – Keys to Writing Success. Am calling people to it now. A group where members gain fresh perspectives, insights, tips, & tools. Connect fully to their writing & creative life. Feel supported, motivated, and confident. In short, write more and write freer. What I’m all about.

Focus. It seems I hit a mark.

• Ask yourself as you edit, what is the thread in this work. What’s the spine of the story that the bones of scenes, exposition, and narrative hang from. This helps discern your focus.
• Ask what your intent is for the piece you’re writing (book, essay, story, poem, article). This informs the narrative.

Here’s the sorcerer’s apprentice. I’m still enthralled. Animation starts at 20 sec.