Recently I have drifted away from writing stories. I’m not sure why. Maybe my preoccupation with the trip next week to Russia, the details of getting the adoption to happen or getting my blog moved over to WordPress, I don’t know. I have been working at just posting more consistently.
Maria at Intueri recently wrote
I still believe in the power of the story. Although interesting conclusions can be drawn from data and other “objective”, measures, stories are ultimately the most effective method of engaging people and the imagination. The power of the story explains the success of Harry Potter and This American Life… Many of us organize our lives through narratives (e.g. “What I Did On My Summer Vacation” is usually more interesting than “The Itinerary of My Summer Vacation”).
Maria is a skillful writer. I love her stories. I want to write more stories, more narratives; that’s what it is all about for me.
I think there are interesting and notable things about most things and people—sometimes these details just aren’t apparent at first blush. I’d like to write more about my observations; there are so many amazing, ugly, terrifying, stunning, beautiful, hilarious, ridiculous, amusing, humbling, disgusting, and entertaining events that we all witness everyday. However, just because I find two blackbirds fighting with each other on the sidewalk on a drizzling morning doesn’t mean that it’s worth writing about. Or maybe it is, and I’m selling the idea short.
Yes, she is right. It is about watching and seeing, then telling. And the things to tell are everywhere around us, just waiting for the storyteller to show us.
Look at a short narrative of observation written by Maria back in March entitled “Covet.” You could say at the end, “he had no idea,” a victim of skilled observation and telling. This little story is one of my favorites.
Your post is generous.
Thank you for the kind words.