“Though it may seem counterintuitive, I find that one way to keep from getting stuck or to find inspiration and new directions for my essays is to write with handcuffs on. Not real handcuffs. That would be weird. But I give myself constraints or limits, and in the case of several of my essays in Ultrasonic, these took the form of language, or specific words that served to narrow the focus of my writing. Focus, for me, is always a challenge, and these constraints became a way to harness my mind's tendency to ramble and digress. I have one essay where every section is either about ‘blue’ or ‘noise’ in some way, and another where each section is either about ‘crown’ or ‘shoulder.’ Every time I sat down to write, the constraint gave me a starting place and an assignment, a challenge to try and find a new way of looking at or thinking about the subject. I found that this led to all sorts of exciting discoveries—in terms of etymology, history, and metaphorical resonance—and for personal material that had otherwise been buried.”
—Steven Church, author of Ultrasonic (Lavender Ink, 2014)
Photo credit: Jocelyn Mettler