Fi Phillips

This month's exercise is one I was set about two decades ago by the wonderful poet and my then writing instructor, Pat Borthwick . Thanks, Pat, for the inspiration. Choose a colour. Make a list of things that you associate with it it. For example, Red - lipstick, blood, silk. Blue - sky, air, calm. White - cloud, age, daisy. As you can see, these can be material things, feelings or concepts. List as many things as you can think of. Now, using your list, all or just some of what you have written, write a short passage. It can be a poem or prose, even dialogue. Here's my green passage: Calm. That's how I felt, breathing in the sweet scent of freshly cut grass, my bare feet damp with the newly released sap as I crossed the lawn. 

 

My new favourite things are these gloriously orange sandals. I wore them yesterday for the first time. The metal buckle may have chafed the toes on my left foot and I'm unsure whether the wiggle they created resembled the lurch of Frankenstein's Bride rather than the gait of Marilyn Monroe, but they made me smile. It got me thinking about colour - how it can affect our mood and the associations different colours have for us. Orange for me speaks of optimism, enthusiasm and joy. It makes me think of sunrises, of roaring fires and exotic tiger lilies. To other people. it could bring memories of Hallowe'en pumpkins, autumn leaves or the robes of a Buddhist monk. Using those associations as inspiration for a story can lead to interesting scenarios and plotlines. Take my sunrise for instance. Sunrises suggest new beginnings. A roaring fire can be romantic or a vehicle for introspection. Beautiful tiger lilies may be a gift from a lover. Fallen tiger lily petals can signify the d...