On this snowy Sunday I’m aiming at the writers again. This is something I have found quite handy and something that I bet you’ll end up doing if you’re serious about your writing. What is it exactly? It’s simple: Carry a notecard with you. Think of this, you’re standing in line at the bank tapping your foot anxiously because you’re stuck behind some woman cashing in her pennies. As you stand there, you look across the room and notice a shifty eyed guy behind his desk looking up and back down at his computer multiple times. What’s he hiding? Does he work here? Many questions arise of course. Now tell me something, wouldn’t this make a good story? Your main character is in that line, much like you, and is watching this guy do this. What’s he say, how’s he react? Many things can happen and that’s why it’d be the perfect time to pull out a pen and notecard to write “Shifty bank guy looks around”. In that sentence you captured a moment that could be used sometime later down in the road in some kind of story. See why having that notecard is so important.
On average, people forget things way too easily. They’ll misplace things, forget what thought was going through their mind, or anything else. With a notecard, dreams, scenes, and conversations can be captured for later when you say to yourself “I wish I remembered what they said”.
Trust me, this is one of the keys to becoming a good author and a good writer in general. Plus it just makes life that more interesting when you look at it in a different way.
Comment (1)
this is a pretty cool idea. i might have to give it a try.