I just returned from speaking at a writing conference on the East Coast.
Truly interesting experience.
Aside from the usual adventure… flying to a strange city, finding the danged hotel (I believe it had to be at least three million miles from the airport), five dollar stale muffins, terribly rude TSA workers… I found the trip quite astounding.
Probably not for the reason you think.
You see, I’m a studier of all things human.
It’s amazing how much you can learn about humanity just by opening your eyes and observing.
From what I figure, most of us live in a fog of our own making. We proceed from Point A to Point B without nary (I’ve wanted to use that word all day) a thought about anything that happens between those two destinations.
Thing is, it’s the journey between those two points that yields the most incredible writing fodder. In fact, in my opinion, it’s in this clearly unexplored territory that most magic takes place.
And most of us are totally oblivious.
Unless you wake up, that is.
Here’s an example of what I’m talking about: think about the last time you sat in a restaurant. You sat, you ate, you probably conversed with your table mate, you paid, you left.
Fine story. Kinda boring, though.
I’d bet dollars to donuts that you probably haven’t taken a moment to ponder that experience the way a high profit writer does.
You see, the difference between a traditional freelancer and a high profit writer (HPW) is that the HPW experiences life. They don’t just meander from point to point, always anticipating the destination. Nope. They create magic wherever they go.
Let’s head back to the restaurant example.
Your average joe arrives, eats, leaves.
A true HPW arrives with their senses tingling. They notice every little detail about the restaurant. They’re mentally creating the scene. They’re fully aware of the surroundings, the people they interact with, the spikes and lulls in “energy” throughout the room.
Going beyond that, the HPW ponders what they eat; the taste, texture, where it came from, how it was produced.
Who built the restaurant building? What’s their story? What about the servers and cooks? Bet they’ve got a fascinating tale or two to tell.
Every tiny everyday experience can yield hundreds, if not thousands of stories. And, of course, each story can be sold in a myriad of ways.
All you have to do is wake up in between Point A and Point B.
I will talk about this more. But for now, I’ve gotta run.
