The Eyes and Ears of a Writer

Our lives are busy, and the places we go are filled with people. School, church, restaurants, parties, meetings--all of these and more. We see and hear things everywhere. As writers, what we see and hear should be an inspiration to write.

It is, IF we pay attention, IF we use our writer's eyes and ears. What we see and hear in our everyday activities can give us an idea for a story, poem, or essay. 

For example, one day I was driving down a street that had trees on both sides, leaning over and forming a canopy of sorts. The phrase 'a tunnel of trees' came to my mind, and I reached far back into my childhood memory bank to see another street that was a tunnel of trees, one that my dad drove us down many times. Later in the day, when I got home, I wrote the first draft of a poem about the tunnel of trees I'd seen that day and the one from my memory. It was such a small thing--driving down that street, seeing the trees, and remembering, but it was the basis of the poem I wrote. It was in the quiet of the moment that the inspiration came.

Sometimes, a conversation we have overheard can give us something to write about. It's not a matter of eavesdropping. There are times when you can't help but hear what others are discussing. Watching the interaction of a mother and child on a bus or train could be the inspiration for a story. Seeing fans go nutso at a football game could be another story possibility. 

Today's quote says 'The quieter you become, the more you can hear.' It's in those quiet moments that your writer's eyes and ears can serve you well. 

Even going to a place where there are no other people, where quiet reigns, can bring ideas to a writer. The surroundings and the quiet itself can be inspiration. 

A writer trains him/herself to have eyes and ears that help them find topics to write about. Of course, we can't write about every little thing we see or hear, but certain people, places, or events speak more to us than others. When that happens, we had better listen. 

It doesn't matter whether you are in a crowded place or one of perfect serenity, your writer's eyes and ears can serve you well. All you need to do is look and listen.