Writing Visually; A Beginning

Photo by gbohne

More often than not I like to think of things in a visual way. When I read books I don’t see words in neat rows like marching ants, no, I see an unfolding story, a movie of sorts. When I recall books I’ve read, be it the good ones or the not-so-good ones, I see the character’s tales laid out before me but it’s rare that I remember a word of it. It’s why I, despite reading regularly and in large amounts, don’t have the best vocabulary – I look through the words and at the story.

I’m the same with writing though I suspect many writers are. I see the story roll out before me like a carpet or a serpent’s tongue. I watch nearby as my characters make their way down the track I’ve thought out for them, one that’s not always clear of trees. Their progress appears to me in graph form, their journey on a map, a series of dots and crosses amongst scribblings of forest, mountains and monsters.

My current WiP (work in progress) is no different. In it’s first draft stage I see it in my mind’s eye as a butterfly, beautiful and fragile. It glitters in both sunlight and moonlight reminding me to write, to feed it, for it will die there if I don’t. Later on it will transform into something else. Perhaps it will become a menacing, tenacious or vicious creature as I fight to edit it, or perhaps it will become something docile, gentle or meek.

Regardless, welcome to ‘Writing Visually’, a blog that will attempt to explore the visual side of the written word.

Janna