SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE...
E Take ten steps from my front door to the end of the deck and you discover the camelias. Lush glossy leaves all year round and when they flower...
Beautiful aren't they? But if you solely focus on them, admire their form and colour, their ability to bring the birds- if you focus on them and don't look up, you miss this...
The view.
As writers we are famous for doing just this. Focusing on one small detail. Giving it such depth and colour and life that it becomes the central focus of the story/ poem and we miss seeing it in context with the whole. With the bigger picture.
My friend, Miss A, would talk about the 'coffee cup.' If reading a story and something stood out, something that was given such detail that the reader felt it was vital to the story- lets call it a 'coffee cup'.
If you described the coffee cup, the colour, the shape, the weight of it in the hand, whether it contained herbal tea, some basic Liptons, coffee, hot chocolate, Milo or some other beverage- as a reader we feel it's important. We feel that this drink is telling us vital clues to the character.
And often it is the case. Perhaps the character drinks out of a Royal Doulton cup that no one else in the house dares use. Or the character mixes her own herbal blends. But if the writer says 'oh no, she only had a drink to show the passing of time' - we've been misled.
Our focus has been on something else. Bit like a magic trick (and this can sometimes work) however most times as a writer we want the reader to see the whole picture, to see the entire creation, not focus so much on the 'coffee cup' that we miss the fact that her hands are so arthritic she can barely hold the cup.
Writers take time to discover the right phrase, the wording that will say exactly what they see in their minds, what they want to reveal. However we often revel in one small detail, give too much focus on something that doesn't require it.
We focus on one small flower, show the delicate rain drops, the vibrant colour - when we really want the reader to see the view.
As writers we are famous for doing just this. Focusing on one small detail. Giving it such depth and colour and life that it becomes the central focus of the story/ poem and we miss seeing it in context with the whole. With the bigger picture.
My friend, Miss A, would talk about the 'coffee cup.' If reading a story and something stood out, something that was given such detail that the reader felt it was vital to the story- lets call it a 'coffee cup'.
If you described the coffee cup, the colour, the shape, the weight of it in the hand, whether it contained herbal tea, some basic Liptons, coffee, hot chocolate, Milo or some other beverage- as a reader we feel it's important. We feel that this drink is telling us vital clues to the character.
And often it is the case. Perhaps the character drinks out of a Royal Doulton cup that no one else in the house dares use. Or the character mixes her own herbal blends. But if the writer says 'oh no, she only had a drink to show the passing of time' - we've been misled.
Our focus has been on something else. Bit like a magic trick (and this can sometimes work) however most times as a writer we want the reader to see the whole picture, to see the entire creation, not focus so much on the 'coffee cup' that we miss the fact that her hands are so arthritic she can barely hold the cup.
Writers take time to discover the right phrase, the wording that will say exactly what they see in their minds, what they want to reveal. However we often revel in one small detail, give too much focus on something that doesn't require it.
We focus on one small flower, show the delicate rain drops, the vibrant colour - when we really want the reader to see the view.
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