L.isten
E.mbellish
V.isualize
A.bsorb
T.ake Notes
E.xplore Possibilities
The picture is by: Escher (one of my favorites)
If you take notice of your surroundings, you will become a better writer. This sounds obvious. SO how do we go about doing this?
Use the 7 principles listed above:
- E.yeball - Open your eyes, we may see a setting hundreds of times but now, try and find three things in those settings you've not noticed before. Touch. Taste. Listen. Tone your awareness muscles by exercising them.
- L.isten - Be a better listener. You may be sitting in a quiet room but is it really? Listen for even the smallest noise. Is your computer fan running? Tap dripping? Dog breathing? Clock ticking? If you're in a loud room, try to distinguish sounds. Loud music - what instruments are playing? Tune in to specific voices and conversations.
- E.mbellish - Turn your mundane surroundings into prize-winning novels. Don't accept what happens around us as random and unmotivated. For instance, if you encounter a noise or occurrence that is not easily explained, don't dismiss it, try to find an explanation or create one. Noise in the attic? Perhaps a homeless person in the neighborhood has made the attic his home.
- V.isualize - Shut your eyes to see better. How cold is the air? How hard is the ground? What places on your body aches or itches? Try to locate them.
- A.bsorb - Look for shapes and patterns in everything. What do the clouds look like? Patterns in he stars, do you see them? Patterns in houses and pages and fields. Deviate from your routine for five minutes. Walk to the store instead of drive. Read a book in the rain. Eat breakfast for dinner.
- T.ake Notes - Write these ideas down.
- E.xplore Possibilities - Make the above actions a habit. Try it for three weeks.
1) When watching television, look everywhere on the screen except where the director wants you to look. What do you notice? Do you notice furniture in the backgrounds? What books do they read? What time is it on their clock? How do commercials get you to focus on the products?
2) Keep an awareness journal for a week. Write your observations down.
3) Practice looking. How many tulips did you count this month? Roses? Red colored cars?
4) Make it your goal to be creative all day long.
Source: Brainstormer
Clarissa - Thank you for this reminder to just simply be more aware. I think my favorite suggestions are to practice looking, and to really visualize surroundings. I think the more aware we are of what we are sensing, the better we can convey sensations to our readers. This is really useful : ).
ReplyDeleteGreat post! In this busy world it is sometimes hard to stop and notice what going on around us. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteIt's so easy to just rush through the day and never notice a thing, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, Clarissa
ReplyDeleteI love the advice about watching a television show or movie and looking everywhere but where the director wants.
Of course, I do this often and it gets me in trouble with the wife who tells to just shut up and enjoy the movie. (I tend to want to tell everyone around me what I notice.)
Great tips, Clarissa! Thanks for sharing. :-)
ReplyDelete- Corra
The Victorian Heroine
Excellent ideas! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteClarissa, I do most of those things you mention as a matter of my daily course. I strive to encourage my co-workers to be more aware as their job certainly is easier if they are.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing on your list that I keep telling myself to begin doing but never seem to do, is taking notes. I now have a smaller digital recorder to assist in not forgetting about key things I have seen. It also works well for recording snippets of material I like in magazine articles, papers, etc.
Thanks for the list, I'll share it!