I’m currently reading a doorstop of a book: The Making of a Story, by Alice LaPlante (can highly recommend it for all writers). In chapter one there is a subsection about noticing—noticing things around us in our own unique way. In my real job, as a photographer, I pay attention to small details, details others likely miss. Details in ordinary, everyday scenes that allow me to then tell a story. I focus at a macro-level rather than a wide or longer view. This attention, I hope, spills over into my writing.
When reading this book’s sub chapter on noticing (whether that be macro, wide angle or zoom), I realized something profound. The way we each as people—writers—see and interpret our surroundings, our fragment of the world, will be different. I may see the rising sun as a flower blooming, you might see it as a red lollipop. This difference in how we see, if we stay true to it, is how we find our voice and express it on the page. My voice may come from noticing macro details, while yours may come from zooming out and seeing a bigger picture.
After reading this chapter a few days ago, the strangest thing happened early this morning. I woke earlier than normal today, and instead of laying in bed trying to fall back asleep, I got up. The sun was rising, but it was neither a blooming flower nor a lollipop at this stage, just a crimson streak of paint smeared across the horizon. I began my ritual of lifting the blinds in my house. When I raised the blind on a window that faces my back garden, something stared back at me. Something big and unexpected. I froze. Had the window not been there, I could have touched it. I won’t tell you yet what I saw (I am a suspense writer after all).
No, seriously, this is why I won’t tell you: I am sure the moment should be a part of the novel I am writing. I have since scribbled notes on a handful of Post-Its so I can figure out how this scene now affects my novel. I’ll need to alter some of what I have written (yet again!), but I know in the part of my heart dedicated to writing the best novel I can, it is the right thing to do. It was so powerful, I will even amend the end scene scene of my book to include it. It will make it stronger, more satisfying. I can see my ending now as it is is a scene in a movie.
Without wanting to sound overdramatic, this morning’s unexpected events have been emotional and inspiring. Had I lingered in bed half-asleep for even another twenty minutes, I would have missed it all - to me that is both profound and incredible. All will be revealed in the chapters of my novel and I will definitely mention this experience in my closing acknowledgements.
Going back to the excerpt from the book I am reading, which is where this post started, I’m going to pay more attention to everything around, in front and behind me—become a human camera that not only records what it sees but also what it smells, hears, feels. Our voices are created, I believe, from all these experiences and the way we uniquely interpret them. That is how our voice comes alive on a static page.
Today I will edit my novel to include what happened this morning in a way that makes sense to my story. I am sure that is why I got up early instead of falling back to sleep.
If you are writing today, pay attention to the small things happening around you. Trust your inner voice, listen to the words coming from your heart, head, and soul. Write simply. Write freely. Write with the voice and courage only you can have. If you are editing: same, same.
For anyone waiting to read posts about my experience with writing classes, they are coming soon.
Thanks for reading friends and happy writing. xx