Monday, June 17, 2013

Random Monday: Bruises for the Sake of Experience

Nooooo... Slippingslippingslipping

NonononononononoNONONO!!!

SLAM.

This is a description of what was running through my head when I slipped last Wednesday and slammed over a wooden table, my lower ribcage ramming into the edge of the table so hard it knocked the wind out of me.

I crumpled to the ground, groaning and cursing in pain, and trying to breathe. I was home alone at the time, so luckily there wasn't humiliation to get thrown in with the pain...

I finally recovered and thought I was good. I worried for a moment that I might have a broken rib, but after some poking and prodding, I was pretty sure I was fine.

Then later that night, upon crossing my arms and letting out a hiss of pain, my mom asked, "Uh...you okay?" I explained what happened, to which she expressed sympathy instead of laughter, thank God.

Without warning, to her or myself, I asked, "Is that what it feels like to get suckerpunched?"

A little bemused, she responded, "Probably."

I thought to myself, Cool! So I'm being accurate when I'm writing and describing how it feels for a character to get suckerpunched in the gut.

I thought this was a kind of amusing thought to run through my head, but I wonder, do you guys do the same thing? If you get hurt in a certain way, do you think, Oh, I have to remember this so I describe it properly in a book! It wouldn't surprise me, but this is Random Monday, so I need to share the random thoughts--predictable or not--that I'm having!

(By the way, I have bruises all along my lower ribs. Owwie.)

Happy Monday!

3 comments:

  1. Haha, that's how we writers are :) I do that whenever I experience a 'new' emotion, so I know and remember how I need to convey it :D

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  2. Ouch, kid! I mean, the reenactment was great, but ouch!

    I probably don't pay such experiences the creative attention I should. It all just gets thrown into the well of mysterious stuff that hopefully bubbles the good stuff up to the surface when I need it.

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  3. Lol! Yes, all experiences should be remembered in great detail so you can accurately describe them in fiction :-)

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