Observing

Looking at things and describing them.

This is one of the most difficult aspects of writing. And it seems so easy. We all have eyes, right? We look, we see, right?

Yep, but do we actually observe? Simple answer: some of us do; some of us don’t. Here’s an interesting test you can do online. I’ll give you the link in a moment but in the meantime I’ll explain what’s required of you.

Okay, you’ll see a vid of six people: three boys and three girls, in a gym. They’re passing basketballs between them.

Keep your eye on the people dressed in the white tee-shirts. I want you to count the NUMBER OF TIMES the ball is passed between them.

I counted 14 when I did the test. Perhaps your score is above mine.

Got that? Okay, go here:

http://viscog.beckman.illinois.edu/flashmovie/15.php

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Done that? Okay, now replay the video and DON’T COUNT ANYTHING! Simply look at the vid.

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Were you surprised? I’ll bet you were.

What that vid is showing you is that we tend to focus on stuff that interests us, and block out everything else. This is no bad thing. We’re (smallish) mammals and we evolved in a dangerous environment full of predators that demanded our attention. We could eat, or be eaten. Consequently, we focused on the important things, the things that meant the difference between life and death.

But this is no use to you as a writer. You have to observe the things others do not, whether they are life-threatening or not. Your function is to look at the world and explain it to those who are less gifted than you are. You must be able to examine a tree or a leaf or an insect, and be able to describe them in such a way that your reader will see them as clearly as you do.

Not everyone can do this. In fact, very few human beings are capable of this. You are among the lucky ones. You have a rare gift.

Going into nature

You saw today how easy it is to stroll beneath a tree and not know the name of that tree. There are thousands of species of tree but only a handful are native to Ireland: elm, ash, beech, oak, yew. Each tree has its own distinctive bark and leaf. Look at them next time you’re passing. When you describe a tree in your writing, your reader will trust you so much more if you’re able to tell her something beyond what she already knows. People look up to writers! Don’t let your readers down. They expect you to guide them through this confusing universe.

Learn the names of things. Know what stuff is called. Once again: your readers will only take you seriously when you show that you’re an authority. In other words, you have to show your readers that you know more than they do. And one of the best ways of doing that is by finding out the names of everyday things, plants and shrubs, man-made objects – in short, everything that actually has a name.

Your own expertise

Everybody is an expert on something. Very often that “something” is an area that few people wish to visit. You have people who are experts on slugs, spiders and snakes. Are we bothered? Probably not. And why do they all begin with “s”? :0)

But often a writer has an expertise, a certain knowledge, that he or she wishes to share with the reader. Do it. Share it. I’m looking at Kate Kenwright here when I say that there is expertise such as the knowledge of horses that few others share. Kate is an expert, and her writing shows that she’s an authority. Anything she writes about horses and horse-riding will have – and does have – the feel of authenticity. Her reader knows that this is the real deal. The reader is confident.

This is what you should aim for. Give your readers that beautiful, warm feeling that they can place their trust in you. That you can, with your well-chosen words, transport them to places that only you can imagine, but places in which they can share your dreams.