Fear of Torture

Welcome back for the twenty-fifth day of Writober. During this fourth week we’re exploring the universal fear of mutilation. Today we’re looking at fear of torture.

Amnesty International put out this video about their efforts to stop torture around the world:

Though I find the title “Torture Animation” off-putting, the message about the reality of fear of torture fits today’s topic.

Rhetorical Devices: Pleonasm & Tautology

Pleonasm is using more words than are necessary, similar to redundancy. For example: “burning flame,” because a flame is already burning, and also burns.

For tautology I found this video from Grammar Monster:

Both tautology and pleonasm can be considered a fault in writing, but can be used for rhythm and emphasis.

Fighting Fear of the Blank Page: Fear of the blank page can be torture, but once we get past it, writing is so fun.

Net of possibilities: I created this technique as a way to use up some leftover puzzle tags with images on them. Draw a “net” on a sheet of paper:

Cut circles of images. I used sections from paintings, mostly famous old paintings, but you can use any images you like. Choose your images at random and put them on your net one at a time, noting down what sparks for you in each image and connections that come up between the images. I talk more about it in my post, Multiplicity: the dot that becomes a universe.

*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.

OctPoWriMo wordlist Download

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 torture.

4. Choose a poetry collection: After close reading some of the poems in the collection, are you seeing new themes, and ideas? Choose three more poems that you now think connect with the ones you studied, and explore the similarities and differences.

Poetry Building

Pleonasm and Tautology: As a poet, both of these rhetorical devices seem like things I would want to diligently cut out of my drafts, but for today, let’s play with ways that repeating what we say in other, yes redundant, ways can expand on what we want to say for emphasis.

Example poem: Today we’re looking at At the Retirement Home by Tony Barnstone, copied here from poets.org for educational purposes.

At the Retirement Home

Tony Barnstone

^{U.S. Soldier, 194th Armored Regiment, retired, Brainerd, Minnesota}

I’ve had both knees replaced. I’ve got a steel
pin in my hip. I don’t hear you so good,
but I’m not stupid, son. How would you feel,
surviving the Bataan Death March, no food
for days, no water, and the ones who fell
behind were bayoneted where they lay,
and now you’re marching off to death? Real hell
is not old age, though. No, taking away
the rights we died for, saying torture’s right,
that’s hell. Hand me the iron and those shirts,
would you? Thanks, son. As long as I have fight
in me I’ll love this country till it hurts.
And it does. This is worse than what I saw
overseas. Torture. In America.

How does this poem make you feel? What stands out to you?

Today’s prompt: Write a poem exploring the fear of torture using pleonasm and/or tautology.

Form: If you’re looking for more of a challenge, write your poem as a soliloquy in which the speaker uses pleonasm and tautology.

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 torture affect your character?

Novel Prep

What is your MC’s daily routine? What, where, and how does s/he eat? How does s/he travel? Who does s/he interact with? Where does s/he work? What is a regular work day like? What irritates, excites, surprises, tires your MC during the day? What is daily home life like? Try to think of every minute detail. Then do the same for the antagonist.

Halloween Photography Challenge

Take a photograph that depicts fear of torture, 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:

Many people find exercise akin to torture, but I hope my movement suggestions have made getting moving fun. Choose the suggestion that has been least torturous and get moving. My favorite is my new twister disc. I absolutely love it.