Welcome back for the twenty-fourth day of Writober. During this fourth week we’re exploring the universal fear of mutilation. Today we’re looking at fear of dismemberment.
While looking at fear of dismemberment this morning, I came across something very scary and interesting. There is a rare mental condition called Body Integrity Dysphoria “where you feel that a limb or healthy body part shouldn’t be part of your body. You’re aware that this body part is healthy; you can still feel, use and move this body part, but you don’t believe it should be yours. You want to live life without the use of that limb. As a result, you might ask a healthcare provider for an amputation or attempt a self-amputation of your healthy limb.” (from clevelandclinic.org)
I find this fascinating. Dismemberment is so frightening, and yet there are some humans who crave it. Something to think about.
Rhetorical Device: Prolepsis
Prolepsis is a figure of speech in which the speaker raises an objection and then immediately answers it. Prolepsis comes from the Greek meaning preconception, anticipation. In literature it is also known as “flash forward” or “prophecy.”
The prolepsis of rhetoric is a speaker predicting objections to their argument and answering them before they can come up.
Fighting Fear of the Blank Page: What if you could dismember your inner critic?
Dismember the page: Take a sheet of paper and tear it into six or seven uneven pieces. Shuffle them around. Throw some on the floor. Then write on each piece, one at a time. When finished, tape the pieces back into the shape of the original sheet, or not.
*Quick Note about links in this post: I am an amazon associate, so most of the links in my post will take you to amazon products. If you buy from these links, I will make some pennies which will help me pay for this site and my creative endeavors.
OctPoWriMo
Poetry Toolbox
These are quick exercises that I hope you’ll do every day. We will build on these exercises throughout the month.
- Word list: Write down the first ten words you think of when you think of fear. Any words at all. Anything that comes to mind. Then choose your three favorite and say them aloud a few times until you hear the accented and unaccented syllables (if more than one syllable) and notice the duration of each syllable. Add the least connected exact rhyme, and the strangest slant rhyme. (Inspired by Frances Mayes’ list of a hundred favorite words in The Discovery of Poetry)
I created this Excel Spreadsheet for you to use to collect and explore your fear words.
2. Sensory Imagery: In your journal or a word processing file, fill in these lines as quickly as you can. Notice they are slightly different from last week. You may want to revisit one or two in more detail if you’re inspired and have time.
I will see
I will hear
I will carry
I will smell
I will follow
The slice of
The pain of
I will taste
The color of
I will witness
I will touch
(Inspired by a week one exercise in the poetry chapter of The Portable MFA in Creative Writing)
3. More Sensory Imagery: Ask yourself sensory questions about fear of dismemberment.
4. Choose a poetry collection: Close-read three of your favorite poems from the collection.
Poetry Close Reading from Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab)
Poetry Building
Prolepsis can be a great tool for poetry as each poem is a form of argument. Using prolepsis you can imagine all the objections to your idea, and the answers you come up with can add depth to your poem.
Example poem: Today we’re looking at Dismemberment by Sinan Antoon, copied here from poets.org for educational purposes.
Dismemberment
The body, or a voice impersonating it, said:
Go! As of now, you are all free.
The eyes flew far away, joining flocks of other eyes.
which had filled the sky, almost blocking the sunlight.
The lips parted company without a farewell;
One searched for a new face,
the other for a lip that would listen to its complaints.
The tired tongue sought a mute man’s mouth to rest in.
The hands clapped and waved to each other as they fled
away.
The right leg appeared frightened and hesitant,
then rushed to catch up with the left leg.
The nose fell on the ground. . .
As for the heart, it kept beating alone
until a stray foot crushed it.
From Postcards from the Underworld (Seagull Books, 2023) by Sinan Antoon. Copyright © 2023 by Sinan Antoon.
How does this poem make you feel? What stands out to you? What is the purpose of this poem?
Today’s prompt: Write a poem exploring the fear of dismemberment using prolepsis.
Form: If you’re looking for more of a challenge, use prolepsis to write a Bop poem.
Write your poem and post it to your site (blog/ website/ other), then post a link in the chat. You may also post your poem in the chat if you do not have a place to post it. If you are posting as “someone” or “anonymous,” please put your name at the end of the poem. Throughout the day, please check back when you can to read and encourage other poets, to learn from each other, and enjoy each other’s efforts.
Writober Flash Fiction
Write a story with a beginning, middle, and end with conflict that leads to change in less than a thousand words (no minimal word count) inspired by one of the images in the Mutilation folder of the Writober 2024 Pinterest board. How does fear of dismemberment affect your character?
Novel Prep
Continuing to really get to know our characters, let’s look at how they move differently. When you really know a person, you know their walk, how they sit, how they stand, how they run. People move differently. Start exploring your MC’s physicality. Then compare it to your antagonist’s physicality. How are they different? How are they similar?
Halloween Photography Challenge
Take a photograph that depicts fear of dismemberment, and link to your photo in the chat.
Get Moving
Now that you’ve read all the prompts and have all these ideas running around in your head, it’s time for motion. Some suggestions:
Cardio drumming. Here’s something different. Turn your exercise ball into a drum. To hold the ball I use an old plastic garbage bin.
Experience Writing 
Writober – Dismemberment – Ladyleemanila
LikeLike