"Look around. Stories. Everything. They're about us. They're in us. We're in them... And we are them. Stories."
—Lisha
A friend told me about how she's beginning to see practically everything around her as potentials for a story.
Y'know, certain passers-by would strike you as the best character types for your story, so you fix a stare on them, assessing not only their exteriors but even x-raying their insides, seemingly shelling their minds and thoughts.
It sure happens. And you feel thrilled by this unconscious exercise. Only if you're a writer.
A big deal of QUEERNESS does come with 'REAL WRITERSHIP.' (Note the quotes.)
Not everyone does it, but it's an interesting way of discovering how deep you are in this writing thing.
Like a journalist, your eyes aren't just for seeing; they're sure surveillance cameras. Nothing escapes those two beepers. THEY TAKE IN EVERYTHING (of course to be filtered later), and record them all.
You know why?
Nothing is new here anymore. But humans sure do new things. Yes, they pull peculiar stunts—things that may have not escaped history but history have failed to record.
Queerness is ubiquitous. And the real writers have their way of capturing them. Hence, these peculiar/uncommon things serve as components of originality and creativity for the smart writers.
Since all new ideas seem to be shades of the past old ones, smart writers can capitalise on the unique actions to create original contents.
Thing is, in this world of storytelling, both originality and creativity do it best. Readers have read virtually all shades of romance, fantasy, thrillers, crime, and whatever.
And they look forward to experiencing something different when they pick up a new book.
In response, writers have a duty to supply these curious minds with unique tastes—original, peculiar, untested.
Again, thing is, while many of these new tastes can be throughly sourced for via our wildest imaginations, we (writers) can resort to observing people and their unique actions and responses to present a new wave of originality that will stun our hungry readers.
For us, HUMANS should be a room filled with TREASURE CHESTS.
😉
Treasure Chest? Yeah, of course.
Our writings revolve around humans and their world—even when writing fables and aliens, we ascribe the humanity (even if a fragment) to them.
Characters have humanoid embodiments. So does the world in our stories.
More reason why we need to pay attention to events around us and see them as potentials for a great original story. I bet your readers will appreciate you!😉
NB: It's great to engage wild imaginations. It's an amazing way of coming out original. But many answers lie within human actions, reactions and interactions.
And those who are smart enough, are able to put those answers to their best use.
Best Regards.
© B. Elisha Oluyemi
