Let's Get Physical, Physical, Physical (With Writing)

The Physicality of Writing

                Being the observant little creep that I am, I love watching people when they think nobody is looking, especially if they’re reading a book. For example, I was on the metro a few days ago and I was sitting next to a woman who was reading. She wasn’t paying attention to anything but the book, her eyelids drooping a bit more with every page turn, her fingers quickly whipping the pages back and forth. I could tell that she didn’t feel up to reading it any longer – she was so tired – but she physically did not want to part with the book. I had to put in the book detail just because I’m a die-hard bookworm, but really I love figuring out what body language means, and my second favorite thing to observe is how people look when they’re writing.

                This may take some explaining, 

Illustration by Frederik Peeters

which I will do through examples. So, take me for the first example: When I write, at least ninety percent of the time I am lying down, balancing laptop on stomach, eyes darting ahead to figure out what else I’m going to put in my piece. Now, before I go any further, I just want to say that although I am not a professional writer, I am very comfortable with words. I love words. I could write a whole essay on how much I love words. I won’t do that right now. But I could, and I probably will at some point. I swear I didn’t just go off onto some weird tangent – I mentioned how comfortable I am with words because I think that’s what my body language reveals when I write. Lying down reflects how relaxed I am when I write, the way I balance my laptop could show how balanced I feel when I write, my darting eyes capturing how I don’t dwell on what I’ve already written. I’m always looking ahead and trying to process what I want to write next. However, while I am now trying to come up with a sentence to transition into the next paragraph, I have sat up straight and crossed my legs, indicating my frustration and crossness that I can’t come up with a transition. I guess that’ll do as one!

                Being a writing center tutor, I’ve been able to see the body language of hundreds of students, which I think is some sort of twisted blessing for me. I say twisted because, like I said earlier, I do think my observations are creepy. It’s okay though, for at least I know I’m a creep. Acceptance is the first step. Okay that time I did digress. Anyway! Let’s take a look at a less-than-enthusiastic writer, my friend Zack. Zack’s a science and math guy, definitely not a history and English guy. When he writes, he does so sitting at a table, but he doesn’t hunch. Hunching is more important than you’d think! Another tutor, Kristen, hunches when she writes, making me think that she’s caving in on her work because she’s gotten so into it. Zack’s position is more standoffish, reflecting his general distaste for writing – simply put, that he hasn’t gotten so into it. He’s not a super comfortable writer, hence the fact that he doesn’t position himself in a relaxed sort of way – when he writes, he’s official about it, which mirrors his official tone in his essays. On the other side of things, Kristen’s tone is usually more informal and flowery.

                Wow, I feel like a therapist while writing this, and now I am sitting up, legs crossed, just like a therapist would if he or she were analyzing something somebody said or wrote. But there is so much to analyze with writing other than just the writing, you just have to look between the lines and behind the scenes. There’s a whole world behind writing that goes unnoticed, as there is with most things. It’s time we start taking notice.

If you want to read more on body language and what it may reveal, click here! 

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at effordn@gmail.com!