Up: [[Life Writing]] Created: 2023-04-15 Updated: 2025-01-19 - Ask yourself why you chose that particular moment. Put it in context. How does it relate to your larger story? - There’s change, even a tiny shift, in every moment you notice. It could be as small as a thought that flashed through your mind. It doesn’t matter. Start there. Start with that moment. - If change doesn’t feel right for a Beam, look instead for a central image or question or mood. - Try [[Freewriting]] beginning from that central point. - You only need one compelling detail in a Beam. Which one of your [[Senses]] is most relevant to that detail? Focus on that sense. - Start as small as possible, staying anchored in everyday things. - See also [[Capturing a Moment]] #### An Example This morning my dog Toffee is beside me, her head on my slippers. I start thinking about how much I’m going to miss her when she’s gone, hopefully some years from now, and all of the reasons why that will be the end of an era, why I won’t get another dog. Those thoughts will be fine for the tiny shift that will be part of the Beam I end up writing and they explain why I chose that particular moment. But I need to be careful to not bypass my senses. I don’t want to get lost in my mind as I so often do. Paying attention to my senses returns me to my body.