Writing With Listening: "A Ha" Moments

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Listening is the beginning of story. My neighbor who is an avid birder taught me about bird calls.  When we stand outside our houses to chat for a neighborly moment he hears in a different dimension.  While I am unaware of the birds in the trees around us, he is always listening.  He will cock his head and say, “Listen.” We stop talking.  Suddenly I hear the crisp notes of the call.  “Cat Bird, ” he will say or “Wax Wing.”   How much in life do I miss by not listening?

“My writing knows more than I know. What a writer must do is listen to her book. It might take you where you don’t expect to go. That’s what happens when you write stories. You listen and you say ‘a ha,’ and you write it down. A lot of it is not planned, not conscious; it happens while you’re doing it. You know more about it after you’re done.” – Madeleine L’Engle

What do we miss in writing by not listening?  Sometimes we have to be silent to hear the thoughts and stories that we are writing. We can over plan and force the writing.

Can I stop talking today and start listening? Like L’Engle can I listen, say “a ha”, and write it down? What a nice way to work.

Wishing you “a ha” moments today,  Writing Sisters