Collect Inspiration
When we are at school or sitting at a restaurant, we often overhear words or conversations that attract our interest. This is considered eavesdropping or rude for most people, but for writers, learning how other people speak, communicate, and argue is part of our education.
For this assignment, keep your Writer’s Notebook with you and start collecting sentences and words you overhear; some will be funny, some interesting, some even scary. Also, collect odd little things that people do before or while they are speaking (these are called mannerisms) and are also part of communicating.
Perhaps your aunt always smiles when she talks; perhaps your teacher blinks a lot when she gets excited; maybe the librarian hums songs to herself when she stacks books; perhaps your father licks his lips before he is going to say something angry. All these little mannerisms help you understand or realize the words that will follow.
Watch, listen, and collect. Then, when you want to write a story or a poem, go to your Writer’s Notebook and select the perfect words and mannerisms for your characters.
When we are at school or sitting at a restaurant, we often overhear words or conversations that attract our interest. This is considered eavesdropping or rude for most people, but for writers, learning how other people speak, communicate, and argue is part of our education.
For this assignment, keep your Writer’s Notebook with you and start collecting sentences and words you overhear; some will be funny, some interesting, some even scary. Also, collect odd little things that people do before or while they are speaking (these are called mannerisms) and are also part of communicating.
Perhaps your aunt always smiles when she talks; perhaps your teacher blinks a lot when she gets excited; maybe the librarian hums songs to herself when she stacks books; perhaps your father licks his lips before he is going to say something angry. All these little mannerisms help you understand or realize the words that will follow.
Watch, listen, and collect. Then, when you want to write a story or a poem, go to your Writer’s Notebook and select the perfect words and mannerisms for your characters.