Keys to Noticing
What we notice as we navigate through our daily life and the reflections on those experiences are the keys that open the doors to the secret society we belong to as writers.
What I notice finds its way into my many notebooks. These sparks are written as observations, conversations, or connections my own brain makes which are uniquely mine. To capture these keys and then use them to unlock my stories is a valuable and powerful tool in my writing life.
My day job is working with teachers and the middle school students they educate. Luckily, as a writer, I am able to share insight with students so they are able to harness their own keys to impact their writing. I recently taught a week-long writers workshop for 7th graders and was able to see the joy of young writers enjoying the freedom of choice and craft.
Whenever potential keys emerge I record them. Often when working with young writers I will write down conversations or connections they make that are so different than my own thoughts. When I am away from my notebook I make notes on my phone and then transcribe them later or add them to my Google Doc “Notes and Musings”. This DOC is essentially a notebook in digital form.
I have cultivated ideas from notebooks from years ago and from yesterday. You never know when a piece will need some unlocking and one of these sparks are perfect to move the writing along where it needs to go. The right keys in writing take us to the place for our readers to understand the thinking in the author’s head.
My writer’s notebooks are the treasure chests that collect the jewels and sparkle of a story I am writing. These sparks are keys that open up the doorways to the writing. They are the beginnings that unlock the secrets to the story, poem, blog post, or essay I am writing. They help me to unlock my own thoughts so it is possible to reach my readers.
Sparks allow my mind to open a doorway and walk down a path that I didn’t think of before especially when I am stuck with the piece I am writing.
Key questions that noticings can unlock are:
Where do I want the story to go next?
What is the next right thing?
What will allow me to open up the story in a whole new way?
These snippets allow freedom of thought that we didn’t think possible when starting with the blank page. Sparks open doorways to a new writer status. Sometimes that doorway leads to stairs that can strengthen the relationship between author and reader. As the author, my goal is to hand off the key of understanding to the reader.
