Let Your Eyes Do The Writing

Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash

For someone starting out in the writing world, whether that be for publication or just for fun, one of the biggest challenges has always been finding what to write about. After all, that special idea or incredible plot twist must be worth taking time over. In fact, there is a huge difference between wanting to write and knowing what to write, which is often the downfall to many an aspiring writer.

The simple answer? KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN.

Writers are ultimately observers: the littlest, most insignificant things can inspire a story or prompt questions, and only after asking those questions and digging a little deeper can you discover your muse. Of course, oftentimes an idea will spring out from nowhere (such as J.K. Rowling’s experience sitting on a train and dreaming up Harry Potter), but these little pieces of the everyday will remain essential in crafting a believable world within your story. Whether Sci-Fi or Romance, Adventure or Horror, the narrative will be that much more believable when drawn from real-life.

“Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don’t see any.”

– Orson Scott Card (Writer of Ender's Game) 

Take advantage of mindless tasks and let your imagination wander. Notice the world around you and question the stories behind everything you encounter. For example:

• A 1940s telephone: what conversations must have passed through it?
• A homeless man: imagine his experiences before and his present circumstances
• An empty park swing: why is it empty?
• A myth or legend: flesh it out – the truth behind dragons or where the pot is at the end of the rainbow

There is an endless stream of inspiration if only you look hard enough.

The next challenge to face new writers is often then a disbelief in their chosen story: remember, all writers have bad drafts, but this is no reason to abandon it. The best piece of writing is not necessarily the most original and inspiring story – even a seemingly feeble idea can be made phenomenal with great word craft. The more true to yourself your writing is, the more successful it should be. Teach yourself patience and see the plot through – if nothing else, you will glean a better understanding of your own writing style and have a completed draft from which to draw inspiration in the future.

“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.

― Terry Pratchett

Ultimately, whatever age or however professional and experienced, everyone has the capacity to write, and seeing it through is one of the most rewarding experiences. Start small with a short story or simple poem to find your feet and build your confidence as a writer, or bust straight in with a full novel to test the waters.

Where will you find your story?