As I start the second day of my commitment to be a better blogger I came across this appropriately named blog A Good Blog is Hard to Find. I liked it because, well, a good blog is hard to find. As I was perusing this blog by Kathy Patrick, I came across a post written by By T. Lynn Ocean called Pass the Salt, Skip the Lime. Now the blog is about books and writing and all that jazz so T. Lynn Ocean pointed out why was she writing about tequila on a book related blog:
“Nothing, really, other than you might can round up some excellent plot ideas if you’re at a party while sober and observant.”
She went on to give some really interesting information about tequila, which I admit is one of my favs, but I liked her post because of the quote I shared above. Being a writer means being observant. If people are drinking and you can manage to stay sober you will be amazed at what interesting things you can glean.
Like most writers I carry around a notebook, several in fact, that I use to jot down ideas, and descriptions of people, places, and things, that I might want to use someday in my writing. Observing people is one of my favorite pastimes. People are so incredibly interesting and fun to watch.
Back to my point. Another reason I find being observant useful is if I run into a case of writers block I can pull out my notebook of observations and ideas and just pick something to free write about. It may not have any relevancy to what I;m writing and I may never be able to sue it but it keeps me from being frustrated because I am writing. It doesn’t always matter WHAT you are writing about. Just that you are writing.
At Fiction Factor there is a great post about Creating Unforgettable Characters. The writer states:
“Story people emulate real people, though they are actually just the creative genius of the writer who develops them.”
You can’t get that without the whole observation piece. So next time you are at a party maybe it’s worth it to stop at one margarita. Ok, maybe two!
Laina
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