Consider This: Moments in My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different

by Chuck Palahniuk

“going on the body.” By this he meant focusing on physical sensation within a character. As in, “This would be a good place to go on the body...” It’s a reliable way to unpack a dramatic moment. Just shift from describing the exterior scene to depicting the interior of a character. As the writer Matthew Stadler advises, “When you don’t know what comes next, describe the interior of the narrator’s mouth.” He was joking, but he wasn’t. If done well, this prompts a similar reaction in the reader’s body. With that complete, you can shift back to describing the scene, or intercut with a big-voice observation, or add a new stressor, or whatever you think will best keep up the tension of the moment. By going “on the body” you enroll the reader’s body as well as her heart and mind. You usurp his entire reality. If you were my student I’d tell you to watch what people do unconsciously. Collect the stories they tell to explain their behavior.