I have noticed certain changes within my cognitive and
behavioral patterns since I have become a writer. I’ve also noticed these
qualities among other writers that I have come in contact with. Of course as
a writer I have to write these little observations down and share them with the
whole world (That observation should be number one, but I’m leaving it off the list).
Here is my compiled
list.
1. We make up stories about everyday events.
I was at church and when the altar
boy lit the incense it flared. He put blew it out quickly, but I
thought to myself, wouldn’t it make a great story if his robe caught on fire
and I ran up to altar grabbing a couple of nun's habits on the way, tackled him
to the ground yelling ‘Stop, drop and roll’ and smothered out the fire saving
him in the process?
2. When we are not writing, we are thinking about writing,
wishing we were writing or chastising ourselves for not writing.
3. We observe people’s personalities a little more carefully
to see if they would make a good character. Or we can use their gestures for an
existing character. God help the person who pisses us off, they become the villain
without a second thought.
4. We read more about the craft (and we start calling it ‘the
craft’). It’s because we want to be better writers, so we read about the things
successful writers have done so we can learn and become successful ourselves.
Before I became a writer I had no clue about ‘show vs. tell.’ I still barely
do.
5. When we read a book we are more critical about it. Gone
are the days where we read for the pure pleasure of it. Now we look at style,
plot, character development (all the things we’re learning about in point
number four). We still enjoy reading but we have added a deeper dimension to
it.
Those are my top five. I’m sure there are more. What are
some things that writers do that non-writers have no clue about?
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