The Power of Observation
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What I mean is this: I've been writing in journals for well over a decade and that has been very useful. I still write in a journal most days. Even if I begin the entry by whinging and moaning, by the end of it I've turned things around (or the writing has turned me around) and I'm feeling inspired & ready for the day. I rarely re-read my journal. It's a purge for me, a splat on the page, an exorcism of sorts.
But there is a different kind of writing that requires me to pay more attention, to notice, to look out into the world, to develop point of view. It's as simple as noticing what's around me and writing down those observations. I say simple, but like most good new habits, it does take a little while to get into the swing of things.
In her address at the 2015 Humana Festival of New American Plays, Ann Bogart said:
C x
It took me writing a lot of words
to find how to write the right words.
What I mean is this: I've been writing in journals for well over a decade and that has been very useful. I still write in a journal most days. Even if I begin the entry by whinging and moaning, by the end of it I've turned things around (or the writing has turned me around) and I'm feeling inspired & ready for the day. I rarely re-read my journal. It's a purge for me, a splat on the page, an exorcism of sorts.
But there is a different kind of writing that requires me to pay more attention, to notice, to look out into the world, to develop point of view. It's as simple as noticing what's around me and writing down those observations. I say simple, but like most good new habits, it does take a little while to get into the swing of things.
In her address at the 2015 Humana Festival of New American Plays, Ann Bogart said:
"I've written in a journal
every day since I was about thirteen years old.When I was eighteen, I had a
friend who said I shouldn't write in a journal what I did, I should write
three observations. So then rather than saying: today I went to a bank and
then to a restaurant, instead say: I noticed today in front of the bank there
are more homeless than last year. It was really hard ... So in order to get
unstuck, I would question the words you use, the story you tell, and can
you do more than just report. Can you actually do the extra effort of point
of view?"
So this is the writing challenge: to write 3 or 4 or 6 observations
in your journal every day, or most days. Notice the detail of life. Be
specific. Use all of the senses. One of the intentions is to stop you from
generalising or summarising. After all, it's detail that makes stories
interesting, emotional and believable.
C x
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