Like most writers, I live life intensely. No, this doesn’t mean I live on the edge, or take risks by leaping off cliffs. Yes, it does mean that I tend to experience deeply. But the experience itself is often an ordinary one. The interpretation of the ordinary, however, becomes extraordinary.
Some moments reverberate sharply in the chamber of my mind shortly after the event. And others linger even longer. Why? Because they reveal some little irascible or conversely serendipitous aspect of the human condition and vaguely provide a puzzle piece (albeit a microscopic one) in the meaning of life.
Let’s face it, the experiences that we all live through every day of our lives are fodder for writers.
That mildly irritable and totally predictable question asked of any relatively well known author: “Where do you get your ideas?” springs to mind as I write this piece. Predictable answer: “…from real life experiences.”
But we all have real life experiences. What makes it different for writers?
The difference is to do with “attention and focus” and the writer is highly attuned to nuances. In fact, a writer will pick up on things that are not said, more than what is said in a conversation. They will notice the unnoticeable. The senses come into play and then the imagination kicks off….sometimes eradicating the reality of the moment and transporting the unsuspecting victim to another place; the writer drifts from the actual conversation, into another world and sometimes it takes great focus to return to the physical pesence of the original conversation or situation.
Take this morning. I was out with a social group, which I have been a part of for ten years now. The group is a mixture of individuals who take part in activities which are highly social in nature and many of our members have been long time attendees.
Having coffee with several people from this social group this morning, one woman told me that since her husband had died a number of years ago, she felt that this social group had “saved” her.
Another man said, “yes” this group, (which meets weekly), was a very important part of his life. There were more reflections from random individuals along similar lines, but I was already pondering the social implications of this. The Streisand number floated into my consciousness” “People who need people, are the luckiest people in the world…”
On returning home my needle was still stuck in this thought groove and I mentioned the conversation to my partner. He had not been present, but is profoundly astute when it comes to matters of the heart and human relationships. He simply said: “Darling, the world is full of lonely people.”
Now…..several hours later, I am still pondering human need. Mere mortals, myself included, need others in our lives.
This whole experience will now be weaved into the novel I am currently working on. Of course, the names and the context will be changed dramatically, but the nuances will be re-purposed to reveal a very authentic aspect of our lives: our palpable need for social contact!
If you can empathise with this notion of “aha” moments in everyday life, which have influenced or contributed to your writing and you have a recent example, I’d love you to share it with us.
Image Source: www.bigthink.com
I highly recommended this video to all thinkers. 
Aha Moments For Writers…
Some moments reverberate sharply in the chamber of my mind shortly after the event. And others linger even longer. Why? Because they reveal some little irascible or conversely serendipitous aspect of the human condition and vaguely provide a puzzle piece (albeit a microscopic one) in the meaning of life.
Let’s face it, the experiences that we all live through every day of our lives are fodder for writers.
That mildly irritable and totally predictable question asked of any relatively well known author: “Where do you get your ideas?” springs to mind as I write this piece. Predictable answer: “…from real life experiences.”
But we all have real life experiences. What makes it different for writers?
The difference is to do with “attention and focus” and the writer is highly attuned to nuances. In fact, a writer will pick up on things that are not said, more than what is said in a conversation. They will notice the unnoticeable. The senses come into play and then the imagination kicks off….sometimes eradicating the reality of the moment and transporting the unsuspecting victim to another place; the writer drifts from the actual conversation, into another world and sometimes it takes great focus to return to the physical pesence of the original conversation or situation.
Take this morning. I was out with a social group, which I have been a part of for ten years now. The group is a mixture of individuals who take part in activities which are highly social in nature and many of our members have been long time attendees.
Having coffee with several people from this social group this morning, one woman told me that since her husband had died a number of years ago, she felt that this social group had “saved” her.
Another man said, “yes” this group, (which meets weekly), was a very important part of his life. There were more reflections from random individuals along similar lines, but I was already pondering the social implications of this. The Streisand number floated into my consciousness” “People who need people, are the luckiest people in the world…”
On returning home my needle was still stuck in this thought groove and I mentioned the conversation to my partner. He had not been present, but is profoundly astute when it comes to matters of the heart and human relationships. He simply said: “Darling, the world is full of lonely people.”
Now…..several hours later, I am still pondering human need. Mere mortals, myself included, need others in our lives.
This whole experience will now be weaved into the novel I am currently working on. Of course, the names and the context will be changed dramatically, but the nuances will be re-purposed to reveal a very authentic aspect of our lives: our palpable need for social contact!
If you can empathise with this notion of “aha” moments in everyday life, which have influenced or contributed to your writing and you have a recent example, I’d love you to share it with us.
Image Source: www.bigthink.com