Writing still perplexes me. While having done it in assorted forms these past 25 years, I still haven’t decided if writing should be regarded as a unit of production or a sacred art form. On one hand, one can only publish something if one actually commits to churning out a certain number of words. But on the other hand, these words and stories often arrive in such mysterious ways. As such, I’ve been in an exploratory phase when it comes to writing tips. The ones I am about to offer are suggestions really, for I know how subjective such rituals can be.

I once met an author who said that he would adjust his screen’s brightness down to 0% while writing so that his inner critic would have no opportunity to mock his output. I seem to be leaning towards a contrasting approach with this Virtual Residency. While my inner critic has been howling in protest since I’ve decided to embark on a YA novel, I’ve opted for an exposure therapy-type methodology by intentionally immersing my senses into this process.

TOUCH

A recent habit I’ve picked up is to buy a new keyboard whenever I start on a new book project. It would be a morale-boosting keyboard, one that would only be used when I am working on the book. For my current WIP, I got myself a fancy one – an Aula F75 mechanical keyboard that makes soothing “creamy” sounds when one types. It also emits pulsing rainbow lights as I type, which I somehow find very pleasing. There are days when I struggle to get any words down, but because I look forward to typing with all these bells and whistles, a bunch of words eventually pop up on my screen. Using this keyboard is also an indirect middle finger to the inner critic, who is truly appalled that I am making such a show about writing.

HEAR

The inspiration for my novel WIP comes from a song, and from this one track, I’ve started collating a Spotify playlist for this current book project. Because the protagonist in my story is 16 years old, I seek out songs that I listened obsessively to at that age. Blasting them brings back ghosts and memories that have not visited in years. The details these nostalgic reunions offer, I try to capture as many as possible in my chaotic first draft. Also, because my story is set in present day, I’ve also been adding songs that broody teenagers currently relate to. It is surprising how cohesive this playlist feels even though it is a mix of pop, rock, indie, jazz, musical and hip-hop tracks with a sprinkling of Mandarin and Korean ballads. The tunes from this playlist thread together to form a soundscape from which I can enter my story’s world. I just need to listen.

MOVEMENT

During one of the Virtual Residency meetings, I get to know author and filmmaker Sally-Anne Lomas, who has an upcoming book titled “Your Body is a Writer”. She kindly offers to facilitate an “Embodied Exercise” – essentially a writing and movement session – to help with worldbuilding. Before this session, she asks me to prepare a colour, a texture, a scent, a taste and a piece of music that I associate with my story.

Already, I am excited about how this exercise will be tapping upon all my senses. I bring out my favourite essential oil, a cup of fragrant Chinese tea, and a fluffy towel, fully expecting a soothing spa-like session.

However, what happens during the actual meeting is a lot of movement (as I’d been briefed but that had somehow failed to sink in). There is crawling, jumping, and spinning. At some point, I curl myself up into a ball with an unusual amount of dexterity. And then of course, there is the writing, which happens in brief intervals after every movement activity Sally-Anne takes me through. The words that pour out from these immersive experiences are raw, unexpected, and insightful.

It occurs to me that playing with the senses has been my way of amplifying the fun in writing. It’s about returning to the root motivation – that I write to feel human but in order to write, I have to fire up my human senses as well. Even as there are doubts and constraints in this process of writing my first novel, there is the assurance that I’m going to have a heck of a time while I’m at it.

Melanie Lee

Melanie Lee is the author of the award-winning graphic novel series Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma and the picture book series The Adventures of Squirky the Alien. She is also a part-time lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, where she develops and teaches communication and children’s literature courses.