Well, they have to be, to write exciting stuff. To conjure up a story, we first need to see it in our `mind’s eye’, before writing it.

What is imagination?

1. It’s when an idea comes into your mind that you find fascinating and worth exploring. 
2. Your mind requires a tangible form of it, so the idea starts to form a vision or a picture in your mind. 
3. Then the mind wishing to find some way of using it starts to formulate a method on how to use it. 

But what do you do with it?

Do you make something because if it, or write about it? Use it all, part of it or reject the silly idea altogether?! 

Let us consider our options:

• Where can we use it? And can we expand and embroider on it? Turn it into something really exciting? 
• This evokes more idea visions in your mind. And then the possibilities run wild. And you think you could easily write a story with all that incoming info, that’s coming quick and fast into your mind! 

Now the moment has arrived… 

When you sit down to write it:

Okay you saw and have the vision, but now you have to put it into words. Not so easy to begin with! Why is that? You feel you can’t write it quick enough to get it all down on paper.  

You have to be patient with yourself, 

To carry out the vision:

You have seen the ideas (in your mind), but now you need to `hear’ the drama of the vision, to write it authentically.  

That’s a strange thing to say, don’t you think? No. Not really. You see, in order for people to understand and visualize your story, you need to involve their senses, by using sound-words. 

Examples:

To make the scenes in your story sound authentic, you need to set up the ambience of the scenes. So you describe the setting or background to what’s happening: 

• Wasn’t it a great day, with the sun shining and birds singing happily? 
• Consider what are the people in this scene you’re writing, actually saying to one another? 
• Was the brook they were standing by, running and trickling over stones, making the scene sound peaceful? 
• Was that someone whistling for them to come home? 

…Now do you hear sounds in your vision? 

What else do you need?

Colour! Why colour? Blending and contrasting colours evokes emotion. People react to emotional stuff. Examples: 

• She blushed bright red, she was so embarrassed! · It was winter time, so the grass had turned a beautiful golden bronze shade. 

You also need action:

Your story is boring without action and movement. Examples: 

• She was so glad to see him; she ran and threw herself in his arms. But, he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away from him. His eyes were angry… 

Conclusion:

A writer has to see, hear and feel the things of his or her imagination, before they can write effectively. 

Good authors have to be emotionally involved, to draw out and deal with the `meaty’ part of their stories. 

PS: People also are drawn in by smell. So use words to describe how juicy a thing is and how it smells. 

• This is especially important for those who want to write about exciting cooking and recipes. 
• But you can also describe the smell of a burning house or grass fire.