More thoughts on writing...

The “Write” Perspective
By Lydia Rule


When everything you see, hear, say, or experience becomes an article, then you know that you have been bitten by the incurable Writing bug! Writers see things differently than most people. They weave their stories from the simple elements of life and gather the threads together into a complicated plot.

For example, when someone tells me their life story, I do more than listen—I’m mentally calculating how and where I could fit their experiences into my latest book project. When I accidentally let dinner burn, I try to find some redeeming factor in the unpleasant situation and shape it into a devotional, and then sell it to cover the cost of a new smoke alarm! Simple events trigger an instinct in me--- “I should write that down! That would make a great illustration in my next article…”

Just a few days ago, when my dog decided to chase me around the house to get my empty cereal bowl, my first thought was, “People often chase after empty things in life too… hmmm, I should write an article about that!”

When you write, your whole perspective changes. After all, having the “write” perspective can greatly increase your article output and idea flow. Suddenly, everything becomes a possible story… what’s the secret of the lonely pathway in front of my neighbor’s house? Why is the key missing to the front door of the old church? Whose initials are etched on the oak tree in my backyard? Why did the man act nervous when the cashier asked for his i.d.? Which little child left his bright blue stuffed animal to rot in the middle of the woods? And as the writer, only you can discover the answers to those questions…

Tips on having a “Write” Perspective:

1) Keep an open mind. Small, seemingly unimportant events can become the threshold of a storyline. Ask yourself, what can I create from this experience? How can I shape it into an article, book, or short story?

2) Write down your ideas in a personal notebook. Doodles, one-liners, and scene settings are all welcome!

3) Make a “Character Page” in your notebook that contains all the quirks, personality traits, and distinctive qualities of the people around you. Mix and match the characters to create a new character. Of course, don’t make it obvious which person you based your character on! After all, copying from one person is called plagiarism, and copying more than one person is considered research! The Character Page in your notebook is just a guide to help spark your creativity!

4) Don’t be afraid to venture out! Write one sentence and see where it leads you! Story starter sentences are just dramatic sentences that you can build a plot on. Write something wacky, scary, or dramatic and see what you can create from it! For example, you could write that “the old man knelt beside an empty patch of ground, for only he knew that just six feet below, a bleached white skeleton was laid to rest.” From there, construct the rest of your story and see how it develops…