I am a very visual person. I once took an intelligence test. I did fairly average on the numeracy (Maths was never my favourite subject. I just do not think that way.) but blitzed the visual memory and spatial intelligence sections. My husband gets annoyed when I can colour match furnishings from memory or estimate whether the couch will fit the desired location – within millimetres. (Some days are better than others).
When I read, I see colours and characters complete with background music that crescendos at crucial points in the story. I even get opening and closing credits. (Maybe I just watch too many movies?)
When I write, I close my eyes and search for the picture in my head. When I find it, the words flow. If I can see the sequence of events, in my mind’s eye, I can also hear and smell the scene. This makes it much easier to describe. (I have even resorted to making my husband act out fight scenes.)
This process is much easier when I am recalling familiar events or places. When I am in unfamiliar ground, I look for visual clues – people, buildings, personal items. Sometimes I print them out. Sometimes I save them to computer. I have recently started a Pinterest page with visual prompts, so I can access it from anywhere.
Today I was writing a scene where one of the major characters has a meeting with Her Majesty Queen Victoria. On hand I had a photograph of Queen Victoria and access to a virtual tour of the Crimson Room at Buckingham Palace. I love virtual tours! This is where the internet really becomes a virtual playground of wonderment! I also use Google Maps Street View to wander around London (with a copy of Boothe’s Poverty Map as reference to what the area would have been like in the late 1800s.)
Manuscript Word Progress:
Revised Words:
At 1st draft only:
Total Words:
Visuals, Prompts and Writing.
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