I was gifted a book of Hieronymous Bosch paintings for Christmas. Squeeeeee! Bosch’s work is truly wild.* His 15th century epic illustrations were so jam-packed with weird/grotesque extras that they crowd out and overwhelm the main characters. He turned dreams inside out, and while much of his stuff was totally disturbing, it was commissioned by royalty and rich folk for wedding gifts and palace walls. He was an insider making what looks like outsider art.
*I am not a Bosch scholar. I am a fan who owns exactly one book.
For 2020 writing, I say we go nuts with crazy dreams and wild imaginings because WHY NOT?
This writing prompt requires a little prep. I want you to find a real-world image that you think is dreamy—a landscape that you think is almost too wild to exist on the planet, and yet it does. A few examples: Uluru for obvious reasons, any random forest in Scotland, a little ol’ National Park you Texans may know and love.
Take a moment to find your own image and have it handy.
Ready to write? Let’s go.
Let’s start with Bosch, and the detail to the right (or below in mobile) from this insane triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights. What is happening here? How does this place feel? Jot down everything you see. Write the sights, sounds, textures, smells, and tastes (yep). Write for 4 minutes.
Pick one figure/character whose story you’d like to tell. It can be a piece of the landscape (rock, mountain, tree) or a creature (deer, rabbit, etc.). If you have a work-in-progress you’d like to focus on, you can even imagine a character of your own in this landscape. Tell us their story, and what this place means to them. Write for 9 minutes.
Pause to wrap up your writing before moving on. Ready? Okay.
Examine your real world image—the forest, the valley, the building, whatever you chose. Look at it for a few minutes, and then shut your eyes and imagine yourself actually there. Imagine yourself inhabiting this place, or one of your characters if you’d like to focus on your WIP. Feel all the feels. Sit with your eyes closed, meditating on the image, for 1-3 minutes.
Open your eyes. Write down every sensory detail you experienced while imagining this place. Who were you? Or who was your character? What were they doing? Who/what did they encounter? Write for 14 minutes.
BONUS: If you’re feeling brave/have the time, create a new place by stealing an element from Bosch (could be that yellow tree, or the curve of that stone) and add it to your real place. Now describe that corner of the dreamlike (but very real) world, and why it’s special/different. Write for 9 minutes.
Thank yourself for taking the time to write! Did you create any words/phrases you love? Or start a new project you want to keep going? Share your ideas with me on Twitter.
Detail from The Garden of Earthly Delights painted sometime between 1490 and 1510.
Big Bend at sunset: one of many real-world landscapes that feel plucked from a dream.