Writing Hint #45: Using your imagination
“A lady’s imagination is very rapid: it jumps from admiration to love. From love to matrimony. It a moment.” Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin.
I am writing this post in my daughter’s office. She is a avid Jane Austin devotee. The above quote she has on a bookmark pinned to her notice board in front of her desk. It started me thinking.
Now let me set the scene:
- I am not going to write about “admiration.”
- I am not going to write about “love.”
- I am not going to write about “matrimony.”
Instead, it was the part about imagination I wish to address. Imagination is very rapid. We can have great leaps of the imagination that can take us soaring with the eagles, flying through the stars or swimming with the whales.
Imagination is the stuff of writing. Without imagination, writers are in a barren land. Without imagination readers would have no reason to read. Imagination is the land of mystery, it is the mighty ocean of the mind, it is the vast expanse of infinity. And we can access our imagination in an instant.
Writers and the imagination
Now for some practical hints about using the imagination.
Writers can tap into this vast storeroom of the imagination to come up with ideas for their stories, novels and poems. Learn to draw from life and all that you come in contact with for the seeds of stories. Always be looking, looking, seeking those gems of ideas that will spring into life as a story. How do writers do this? Let me tell you some ways you can do it.
- People: We meet or see people every day. Sit in a shopping mall and observe the people you see. Choose one of them. Jot down a few ideas about the person. Use your imagination to create a character. Where do they live? Why are they here? Where are they going? What are they worried (or happy) about? Let your imagination run riot.
- Photographs: Pick up a newspaper or magazine. Choose a photo – any photo. Don’t be too fussy; any photo will do. Now let your imagination run wild. (Do not read the caption or the story it accompanies; it will narrow your imagination.) Let your imagination come up with suggestions about a story involving the scene featured in the photo. For example, a photo shows a fisherman sitting in a boat. Who is this man? What problems have driven him to seek the solitude of fishing alone? Why is he looking so anxious?
- News headlines: Skim through a newspaper. Choose one headline; don’t read the article. Let your imagination loose so that it can come up with a story idea as a response to that headline. For example, the headline is about a boy genius entering university at age twelve.Your imagination jumps to thinking you are that boy. How did you get there? What happens to you at university? How do you cope with the rejections of your peers who think you are a freak?
- Household object: Go for a walk around your home. Choose any object that grabs your imagination. Come up with a story idea revolving around the object. For example, you pick up a pair of scissors.Your imagination leaps to murder. How did this murderous weapon come into your home? How are you involved?
- Listen for sounds: On a walk you stop to listen to the sounds around you. The wind is moaning through the trees. Let you imagination take you to a land of mourning, a place of tears and much distress. Why do you feel so sad? Who or what has died, been lost, destroyed or ruined forever?
Look for writing ideas everywhere. In the ordinary things of life. In the mundane objects and experiences. In the commonplace and familiar. And then let your imagination loose.
Good writing.
The art of writing
“The art of writing is what you get to do once you become familiar with the craft” [of writing]. Elizabeth George in her book “Write Away.”
Learning the craft of writing is like developing any skill: get someone to show you how to do it and then start doing it yourself.
For example, when my wife and I first started blogging our very tech savvy son sat us at our laptops and stood behind us taking us step by step through the various elements of WordPress. He showed us all the things we needed to know to get started. As we progressed in our learning he refined the process, teaching us new skills, correcting us when we erred and praising us as we developed in confidence. Now we rarely have to ask for any advice for we have learned what we need to know about the craft of blogging.
Likewise, the craft of writing can be taught. I remember teaching my seven and eight year old students step by step through the process of writing in different genres. Writing a letter, for example, is far removed from writing a haiku poem. Writing an entry in a journal about one’s family experiences requires a different set of skills when compared with writing a report about a class visit to the zoo (though I can see obvious links between these two events – poor example).
Learn the craft of writing
If you want to be a writer, learn the craft.
Here are some useful hints:
- Read voraciously.
- Practise writing daily.
- Read books that teach you about the craft of writing.
- Buy and read magazines about the craft of writing.
- Join a writers’ group and listen to the advice of other writers.
- Practise writing daily – no omissions.
- Join writers’ organisations in your area and attend their meetings.
- Attend writing seminars and listen to practising writers explain the craft.
- Practise writing daily – no excuses.
- Attend writers’ conferences and talk to other writers.
- And last, but by no means least, practise writing daily.
Your apprenticeship
The above list of things that you can do to learn the craft of writing is your apprenticeship. Learning the craft can take many years, as it all depends on how passionate you are about learning the skills needed. In fact, I would go as far as to say you should always be learning the craft. Eventually you will develop the skills needed to enjoy the art of writing.
The art of writing is all about the inspiration of the moment and the excitement of riding the wave of an idea. The art of writing is what you get to do once you become familiar with the craft. Elizabeth George in her book “Write Away.”
Further reading:
- I want to be a better writer – useful hints from my archives.
- Nothing ventured – about the risky business of learning to write.
- I want to be published.
A tribute to writers and bloggers
I went back to full time work today.
No need to panic – it is only temporary. I do relief driving for a friend who runs a courier business in the rural city where I live. He wanted to take a week’s holiday this week, so I’m working full time this week.
I’d like to pay a tribute to all you writers and bloggers out there who also work full time at a job and then stagger home to write. It is hard. You feel tired, worn out and drained. The creative juices have usually dried up.
I am enjoying the freedom to write all day now that I have retired from teaching. How I managed to write so much over the years AND teach full time PLUS be on various committees AND do volunteer work beats me.
So here is my little tribute to all you struggling writers and bloggers out there.
I salute you.
Good writing.
101 very useful websites for writers
I used to subscribe to the American based magazine Writer’s Digest. In the early days of my writing career this magazine was a monthly source of information, help and inspiration for me as a fledgling writer. I would still like to read the magazine, but the cost of subscribing to it here in Australia is too prohibitive. I still get email newsletters from them, but it’s not the same as having the magazine.
One of the very useful things the magazine has done in recent years is to compile a list of The 101 Best Websites for Writers. This list is primarily web sites but there are a few blogs included too. You can search via the full list in alphabetical order, or you can search by one of nine different categories.
A very useful resource.
7 Ways to Become a Writer
“Every writer is in a self-actualizing process. Writing is an apprenticeship. A writer is always becoming a writer.” Liz Strauss
I have always called myself a writer.
I call myself a writer because I write. I must write. That’s who I am. Sure – I became sidetracked in teaching for three and a half decades but all through that time I still called myself a writer.
I am a writer because I must write. Just like a musician must play or a singer must sing, like an artist who must paint or draw or a doctor is compelled to help the sick, so a writer must write. It’s the passion within that drives one on, it is the desire to share ideas and stories in the form of the written word that compels the writer to press on.
Like any other pursuit in life, however, one never arrives at perfection. There is always the striving after a better way to express ideas, there is always another story or poem or article that must be written because it will be better than the last one. As Liz says, “Writing is an apprenticeship.” We are always learning – or should be.
How to become a writer:
There are many ways of honing one’s skills. I would like to list just a few:
- Read. Voraciously. Read the works of other writers – good, bad and indifferent.
- Write. Practice is needed every day. Remember that even the most successful singers, musicians, basketballers and writers practise daily. Remember that not all that you write will ever be published – in fact, most of it won’t be.
- Study: learn about the craft of writing from the many books, magazines, websites and blogs about writing.
- Attend: Network with other writers, publishers and agents by attending seminars, workshops and conferences.
- Reflect: Pause often to reflect upon your own writing. Is it achieving what you set out to write? Can it be improved? Where have you made errors? What parts need rewriting?
- Publish: Sent your precious words out into the wild world. If your words only ever remain on your hard drive or on tatty pieces of paper in a drawer somewhere, you have silenced the inner you. You have silenced those words that you have created and which are crying out to be released into the world where they can touch the lives of countless others.
- Persevere: In many cases publishers will reject your wonderful words. You may have very few readers of your blog. You will easily become discouraged. Persevere. Keep writing. Keep on sending out your words. They will be heard.
Remember: A writer is always becoming a writer.” (Liz Strauss)
Links:
- 7 Traits that writers have in common – the inspiration for this post – it is worth reading the whole article. My thanks to Liz.