Cleaning The Freezer

Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter — What If? Writing Exercise for Fiction Writers prompts

The Exercise — Make a list yourself of things that are done in small units of time. Here are several suggestions: Naming a pet or a child, breaking up with someone, playing a game such as Risk or Monopoly, washing a car, stealing something, waiting or standing in line for something, packing to go somewhere, cleaning the refrigerator, having a birthday party, etc.

Now write a four-to-seven-page story staying within the confines of a particular time unit. For example, a birthday party story would probably last only a few hours, or an afternoon or evening; naming a pet might span a longer period of time but will still be focused on one activity.

The Objective - To recognize the enormous number of shaped time units in our lives. These units can provide a natural substructure and shape for a story and make the writing of a story seem less daunting.

Cleaning the freezer is a process. Why oh why haven't I purchased a self- cleaning freezer? They have them. Yes, there is such a thing now. It is possible to find them and to find the best deal, at the best place and price, by going online.

For now, I have let the inside of the freezer diminish. I haven't put anything in there in some time. No large meat purchases. No large stack of the husband's favorite Jack's pizzas. Only things that can fit in the refrigerator freezer for when the time comes.

Well, I have used a cooler if I could get it done in a part of a day, which is doable. I just prefer to take a couple of days to get it done right. Focused time to make sure it is sparkling clean when done. To make sure it is fully thawed.

It can't be this week, as I am flying to Texas for a few days. I have a brother and his family there, and whoever cleans their freezer on their birthday week, or even their birthday month.

So this can be put off until February, or I can get it done today. It really doesn't take that long once I start. I have a meeting tonight. Can everything else be put off until tomorrow? I would love not to have to think about the freezer while on my trip. Doing it today would solve that.

Okay, so what's next? Shut it off. Put a towel on the bottom of the freezer to catch the water that will accumulate there. Place some bowls of hot water in there to get the thaw moving faster.

Then work on laundry, while the thaw is happening, checking in occasionally to make sure there is no flooding going on. When most of the thaw has happened, wipe down the freezer. Next, get a good soapy bucket of water to clean the freezer. Next rinse with clean water, and walla. Done.

Turn on the freezer and close the door after placing some items that you have moved from the kitchen freezer back into this freezer. Leaving it on and empty causes too much energy usage. The more full it is, the less energy is used, unless someone is in and out of there too much.

When it is clean, I probably won't keep the freezies in this freezer, as the grandkids are in and out of this freezer all summer. Wait, it's all year as long as those items are in there. Maybe stop buying those freezies.

Maybe I should get a lock on this freezer. It is right by the entryway door and too easy to open and look in it for freezies or ice cream bars. They will get used to them being kept in the kitchen freezer, but how long will that take? It may be better to get a lock.

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Author's Note: I got the idea of describing a process or event that can take a long time to consider all that is involved in staying within the time limit set for the task. I don't think cleaning the freezer takes four or five pages to describe. I see how that can take that long, however, with some of the things listed. And I get the point of the exercise.

A lot can be described in a significantly short time in life. Keeping that in mind can help with planning to write fiction.

P.S. Since this is a fiction exercise, the most important truth above was, who cleans their freezer in their birthday month? Not me! And now, having written this, I am ready to do that job real soon!