Wednesday, April 6, 2011

E: Experience

There are many ways in which experience is important to a writer. The obvious way is being an experienced writer. Having lots of credentials, developing the skills to type out fascinating characters and smooth and riveting plots without having to think about it,

Or . . .

There is the less obvious but more important. Experiencing life.

Everyone experiences life to some degree but when was the last time you experienced the full potential of the exact time and place you were in? When was the last time you let your mind stop talking long enough to listen to your senses?

Taste the playful freshness of the wind toying with your hair while you wait for the bus. Allow the tingle of the curry in your lunch to salivate a moment on your tongue. Drink the sight of your loved ones when they come to greet you. Don’t just observe the world. Absorb it.

This is important to us as writers because every moment is potential fodder for a scene, a description, a fresh idea, an inspiration, but it is also important to us as human beings to allow our mind, body, and soul to connect and rejuvenate. To war with itself and to find peace.

What will you experience today? Go and embrace.

6 comments:

  1. sadly, today I get to experience 'sick.' I would rather be experiencing 'travel' along with
    'well' - of course! Because being sick stinks but traveling and being sick must be the pits. I suppose I should take notes, tho, huh?

    hope you're experiencing something much more interesting :)

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  2. Oh, I agree. Stay open to the possibility of the moment. Inspiration can jump up in any experience. Good post.

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  3. nice post. every day is a new experience - be ready to capture it!
    Happy E Day!

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  4. I like to look out my window at work sometimes and just watch the trees rustling in the breeze, or the clouds sweeping by. It's a nice little break if only for a few seconds. I love this post about experiencing each moment because life really does go by too fast.

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  5. I agree- I steal so much from my everyday living to weave into my writing. It's easy to get caught up in my imaginary world though!

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  6. Definitely! How can we write such that a reader can feel themselves in the story if we haven't experienced certain things to help us convey them?

    Good luck on the A to Z Challenge!

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