AUTHOR'S CORNER:

CAT'S EYES

What makes a cat a spectacular creature?  Why do people tend to be fascinated with this creature that is all whiskers and fur?  There is something mysterious and alluring about our feline friends which can leave us mesmerised for hours on end.  Why?  Because behind that fury exterior, behind the long overcrowding of whiskers and the strange body movements, if one is to look closely into a cat's eyes, one would get the sense that it looks upon life in a completely different way.  It is almost as if our feline friend sees more than us; it sees the world in fine detail and notices every little quirk and mishap that goes on, it sees every movement and quiver that takes place, and it views everything with open fascination....yep our feline friend is NOT closed minded!  How often have I looked at my cat and wished that for one split second I could see the world as she sees it?  All the time!

I CAN SEE YOU!

WHAT'S THIS GOT TO DO WITH THE AUTHOR'S CORNER?  I HEAR YOU SAY....

STOP!  DON'T PRESS THE ESCAPE BUTTON, I'LL TELL YOU....

What distinguishes a writer from the rest of the population?  Is it their ability to type?  Their ability to spell or string together a few sentences?  Their ability to just tell a story?   NO, it is the ability to look at life situations and translate those on page with finite detail so that the reader's imagination is captured and their passion is ignited and their senses awakened! 

A good writer is feline in their attitude, we move in graceful strokes taking in the rich tapestry of the world.  We observe natural beauty that surround us and take in all its shades, brightness and variation.  We watch behaviour and translate it into complex feelings, life experiences, hangups, desires and shortcomings!  We see and therefore we become!  We listen and we look and we hide behind the shadowy walls of life gathering information about this complex life form called the human race!

THINGS TO PRACTICE FOR FELINE STYLE WRITING!

1.  Be observant, pay attention to detail, how somebody moves, the gestures they make, little ticks they have, how they smile, frown, stare...

2.  Read into things, if someone is stroking their hair frequently, if someone is jerking their heads often, if someone touches their nose before speaking, ask yourself why, analyse and assess and come up with your own conclusions.

3.  Marry what you see to characters, for example shifty characters have a certain hand gesture, intellects move in a certain way, talk in a certain way. 

4.  Marry situations to character, for example, how would you imagine somebody has turned out the way they have, perhaps a bad past, a tormented childhood?  Use your knowledge to link things.

5.  Observe how nature works, observe the seasons, the animals, the elements interacting, human beings, the rules are mostly the same, i.e. good results in good, bad in bad, every action has a reaction.

6.  Incorporate your observations in stories and apply them to the situation; that way you come up with a three dimensional picture.  For example, writing 'Mary was upset so she slapped her friend' does not make for interesting reading, but stages and interactions and emotions leading up to Mary's upset makes for interesting reading.

7.  The devil is in the detail, because anyone can write, but not everyone can capture detail that fires up the imagination.

8.  Learn to assess, deduct and then flavour with your own imagination and come up with in depth human interactions which differentiates the human race from robots.

9.  Let the reader see through your eyes and don't hold back.  As a writer your talent is to be able to see and  write about what others can't.

10. Be colourful, be sure and be bold!

  

11. Be the author!