Long ago, when we lived in the Philippines, I was considering writing children’s books. So I sent away for a correspondence course. The books arrived, and I got busy working on my lessons while I waited to drive my youngest daughter home from kindergarten. I finished the course and received my certificate, but I never wrote a children’s book. A lost opportunity? I don’t know, but it did give me a start on writing for adults.
The thing I remember most clearly from that course (I think it was the first lesson) was the importance for a writer of noticing. Noticing everything: color, light and shadows, smells and sounds, how people talk and how they move and behave.
In Stephen King’s book On Writing, he emphasizes the importance of reading. Noticing and reading. Two essentials for writers. Also good for the rest of us. There are lots of good books, and it’s a big, wonderful world out there. Wouldn’t it be a shame to miss all those books or to let the world pass us by?
Some of the things I noticed on March 5th
The other day I took a little walk, only twenty minutes in total. It was still winter, not quite spring with all its extravagant beauty. There was more than enough to quietly attract my attention, though.
Here are some of the ordinary little things I noticed along the way.
I love the design of these rhododendron leaves.
These branches stayed red all winter long.
Early blossoms against a blue sky
The wintry bones of a tree highlighted by sunlight
Just dry grass, but somehow lovely
I wholeheartedly agree on paying attention and reading. I even tell my students this, well for academic writing, if you want to be good at writing, you need to be reading.
Right. And having a good teacher like you doesn’t hurt.
Observing and reading are great. Then you also have to remember. I wish I had a better memory.
Wonderful observations and yet they are the things we see every day. Thanks for reminding us to look Nicki!
This afternoon my sister and I had coffee and pastry at Walnut Street Coffee, and we took the opportunity to observe the other customers as we talked and drank. That’s even more fun.
The words that you use to describe your pictures make them much more interesting.. Great pictures with great words….
Thank you, Jeri. Just my regular walk up on 8th.
Your post brought this quote to mind:
There is only one trait that marks the writer. He is always watching. It’s a kind of trick of the mind and he is born with it. ~ Morley Callahan
Interesting quote. Thank you. I would add, watch and also remember. I’m often amazed at some of the little details authors know. They’re things they must have noticed, not something you google.
I vaguely remember correspondence courses like the one you took. The idea seems so quaint now. You may not have written a children’s book, but you learned to remember to pay attention to the details. Your photos are a great example of that skill.
The correspondence was interesting because it was from the US, and I took it while I was living in the Philippines.
I started drawing and painting at an early age, so I naturally notice the look of things. I’m probably not as attentive to the other four senses.
Sometimes I think observational skills tanked when the smart phones arrived. Certainly my son read a lot more when he was younger–but I suppose I did as well. Now I watch a lot more reels, but I suppose I watch less TV.
I think you’re right about the effect of smart phones. Observational skills don’t disappear, but they probably relate to different objects for many people.
Encouraging children to read is important too. I did a lot of reading when I was a child and kept on reading. I had a better vocabulary than my non-reading friends. I wasn’t athletically inclined (except for tennis) so that’s where I put my effort.
Children (and adults) learn so much about the world from books that they’ll never see or understand in their own personal experience. I guess the thing I like about noticing (besides being useful for writers) is that it’s a kind of love and gratitude for your own personal world.
Nicki, I wonder if we took the same correspondence course from the Children’s Writing institute back in the day. 😄 Unike you, I didn’t finish the course! 😄
Great photos! From where I sit, I can see the wintry bones of trees highlighted by sunlight. Just caught the tail end of a bird swooping past my apartment building.
I’ll bet we did take the same course. It was a big correspondence school, I think in NY, and it had lots of advertising.
Isn’t it great to have your computer near a window! I love your wintry tree bones highlighted by sunlight and your swooping bird.