“Don’t you dare speak of that way toward being that fly on the wall. The picture does not look like that. It is a gloomy mud hole with blackened rocks and a thunderous storm moving in reflecting off the sewer you call a waterfall.” The Devil really tries to convince me to create a horrid work out of a beautiful artistic masterpiece.
“You know better than that!” as the picture reflects a bright glow off the Devils face, “ This work of paints smeared on this canvass tell a greater story than your life you Devil. Do not listen to him Mike look at how he dress’s all in fire red with a fox hole black face. You know better then to trust someone who looks like a rock of coal half died out.” The Angel speaks with softness in his voice trying to convince me to speak of enlightenment.
I don’t know who to trust they both make good point but and have great descriptions but what are the emotions I want the reader to think of? How do I want to set a scene of something that is suppose to be of greatness? Am I writing a scary novel or a work that is going to bring joy and pick up the spirits of the readers? I know what I need to do but with them arguing outside my head both with great arguments my decision is hindered.
“Who cares about the reader the writer always knows best. Is the reader writing this or are you? You can write it any way you want and danger is always more exciting. “ says the Devil with great promising points. “You want to be known don’t you not just writing love stories. All great movies have fire and excitement.” The devil continues.
“So untrue. Ladies love a great love stories and it sounds much better to talk about a sparking waterfall with the suns rays sparkling off the water droplets rather then a mercury filled spout oozing over the rocks.” My angel seems to have a quick comeback to the Devils deadened talk of spoils.
Who do I listen to I just want the best for me and mostly my readers. What am I really trying to describe. I stand back and really look at the picture and really diagnose what I want the readers to see. What am I looking at and how do I describe this to my readers in a way that almost paints this picture in their mind. I know now what I need to do! I got the feather duster from the cupboard and begin to raise it up toward my shoulder that the devil is digging his pitch fork into.
The devil nervously says, “ahh what are you doing get that away from me I am allergic to dust or feathers. I mean just get that away you don’t know what you want I know what you Waianae…….” The Devils voice is cut short from the gentle sweeping action of the feather duster erasing him from my shoulder.
I know what I want and what the readers need and it isn’t a plain description of a painting that tells a thousand words per stroke. I am a colorful person full of details and descriptions but the Devil used his knowledge of my small vocabulary against me. I try to over come this and listen to the Angel that still sits soulfully on my shoulder as he smiles and give me a wink. I feel comfortable now knowing my best intentions are here for the taking.
I use this prompt a lot and after a few years I become familiar with most approaches to it--this one is new, however, and very nicely done; you offer a lot more depth than I usually see. Obviously you are really imagining or visualizing and hearing the scene--and because you are doing that, the writing really takes off.
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