I met a couple of promising writers at one of my writers groups. They are young and imaginative and quirky.I sit there marveling at what they come up with for our prompts, which are ideas that we write about for ten minutes.
They type so fast it's intimidating. I wonder if I've lost my edge. But this is good for me. It keeps me grounded and hungry to get better. Yes, I'm competitive.
Writers have to balance self confidence and a humble attitude. We also have to believe everyone has a story to tell. I'll spend fifteen minutes talking to someone I hardly know, tabulating details, vacuuming information to possibly be used in a future piece. If people see you actually listen, nodding periodically, it's amazing how much they will reveal.
Everything is fodder for raw material. Those two young writers right now are creating stuff off the top of their heads without really interacting with others. As their writing journey continues, one hopes they will consider other people as sources for fiction, poetry, plays, whatever, in the process, balancing their instinctive creative talents with close observation of what material is out there in the world.
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