Ideas from observation
Noticing a gesture, overheard phrase, or unusual object can give a piece its starting point.
At a diner, Andre sees a woman turn her coffee cup so the handle points at the empty chair across from her. She doesn't say a word. How could that tiny movement start a piece of writing?
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What you'll learn4 ideas
- Write down the exact action you saw, like a cup turned toward an empty chair, not your guess about it.
- An overheard phrase can start a story even when you never learn why it was said.
- Keep what you saw and what you imagined in separate notes, so you always know which part is real.
- A first line can keep the real detail you noticed, like a red mitten on a fence, and add an invented story around it.