Visual Writing

I spent all day cleaning and organizing my room, hopefully next week I will have a more cohesive post. For now I hope you guys don't mind the rambles.

I realized something lately, while combing through old drafts and snippets that were cluttering up my laptop.
I'm a visual writer.
I don't know if this is a thing or not, or if everyone does this. I haven't seen anything about it, maybe I'm just thinking of it in a strange way.

I've always wondered how my art affects my writing and vice versa. They're connected in more ways than I originally thought. It's like most people outline their stories by writing things out. I have never been able to do that, I've tried to do that multiple times. It would make more sense for me to storyboard my ideas. Because my stories come to me in images.

Anyone else relate? When I get a new story idea it's almost like I craft a trailer for it in my mind. The first story I ever wrote started with a picture, so I don't know why it took me this long to figure it out. This was long before I even knew of Pinterest.

Pinterest has become a big part of my process now. A tool I would highly recommend utilizing. If images get your inner muse working.

Music, always seems to create more images too, especially if I am playing a song and thinking about a certain character, a whole scene will paint itself into my mind. I then simply have to write it down, which is anything but simple and I always feel as if my words never do it justice.

Which happens with all my art projects too of course.

I guess that's why the aesthetics of a book are important to me. The colors, the textures, and syntax, can make or break a book for me. my favorite books are the ones. That mix all of the elements in with style and flair. Or so seamlessly that you don't even realize the work that went into making it all feel effortless.

When these things clash, or contradict each other. I have a hard time continuing with or enjoying a story. It throws the whole thing off. The best books are the ones, that have amazing plots and characters, but are also aesthetically pleasing. At least in my opinion. Books that can make me visualize it to the point where I can almost taste and touch it, takeover my life.

I know when I create a character I obsess with their appearance. Their clothes and general physical appearance are the more basic parts of that, but my favorite things to work out are their expressions, mannerisms, and impression that they give. I feel like these things don't get nearly as much attention as they should.

It's always sad when a author only goes skin deep with their characters and settings. I get that establishing what color hair your character has is important, but it shouldn't be their only personality trait. Give them nervous ticks. Is this turning into a rant, probably.

I've read some less than stellar books lately, so that's probably where it's stemming from.

This was supposed to just be a post, like this is why gifs and pictures are non-negotiable to me when I write. I don't know how we got on this rabbit trail. Well now I'm rambling.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.


Can we laugh about the fact that I wasted a perfect opportunity to use some pretty pictures to further establish my point. I'm a walking contradiction...