You know how certain writers can turn a basic coffee shop visit into a short story? Or how a random insight becomes the foundation of an entire book? That's writer's eye - the ability to see story, detail, and meaning in the everyday, mundane reality.
It's not a gift given only to a few chosen ones; it’s fundamentally a habit. As our world demands speed and efficiency, learning to slow down and simply observe can be a very valuable tool (and not just for writing).
So what is the "writer’s eye” again? It's a trained ability to see the world not just as it is, but as it could be written. It’s more than just noticing things, it's revealing detail and the emotional nuance. Everything and everyone around us can become a character, a conflict, or a metaphor waiting to be explored. So stay curious and ask questions.
The foundation of the writer’s eye is simple: have the intention to notice more. It's mindfulness of creation.
1. Pick a boring moment in your day: waiting in line, carrying the trash out, washing the dishes. For just a minut put away your phone and pay attention.
What do you see, hear, smell, or feel?
Who’s around you?
What are they doing?
And be specific while you do so! Don’t just say “a woman at a café.” Say: a woman with chipped red nail polish and a notebook full of lists she never checks off."
2. Choose a random object you encounter: a receipt, a shoelace, a tissue. Write five lines about it. Can you give it emotions?
3. Once you’re noticing more, the next step is transformation. Look at the world around you, and ask "what if?".
That couple whispering across the street - what if they’re planning a heist? That old man who walks the same block every morning - what if he’s searching for something he lost fifty years ago?
4. Keep a small journal or digital note with you. Whenever you encounter something you believe you would use in your writing, note it down. Question:
What happened just before this action I described?
What is this person I noted about hiding?
Why does this place feel off?
I personally use Google drive to keep all of my writing notes, but there are many apps you can use.
5. Train your ear to listen on the bus, in cafes, at the park. Notice how real world dialogue flows.
How do people interrupt each other?
What do they leave unsaid?
What words or phrases repeat?
6. The richest writing engages all five senses, and so should your daily awareness.
What does your neighborhood smell like after a summer rain?
What does your office chair feel like after a long day?
What small sounds have become invisible to you?
7. Writers thrive in reflection. Take a moment, after something minor or major happens, to pause and wonder:
What does this moment say about people?
What did I feel, and why?
Could this be a metaphor for something bigger?
8. Writers read not just books, but life itself as a kind of text - open to interpretation, filled with metaphors, symbols, and themes. A rainy afternoon isn’t just weather — it could be a mood, a turning point, a metaphor for longing or cleansing. Developing this symbolic thinking deepens the writer’s ability to bring meaning into their stories.
You may have noticed that those excersizes have to do with mindfulness. That's on purpose - being mindful means taking a step back to learn how to be a curious kid again. Just observe how a child enjoys the world around them - they can notice something beautiful and fascinating on every step of their everyday walk to kindergarten. They're truly mindful and in the present moment. That's because their minds are at the developmental stage where they focus on "what can I play with?". Observing kids and learning from them takes us a step closer to writing better.
The more you practice, the more natural it becomes. One day you’ll find yourself crafting scenes in the grocery store line, or finding metaphors in a pile of laundry. So today, pick one technique: observe, question, reflect. Let your writing begin in the way you live.
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