Wednesday 24 September 2008

Fine detailing

Are you detail oriented in your writing? What are some of the details you most notice in the world around you? What details do you focus on in your writing - place, character, emotional? What are the kinds of detailed descriptions you most like to read about?

In a simple answer, yes. I am detail oriented. In my poetry, I write it with as much detailing as I can. Words are not to used as only mere trinkets. They have go to a very higher level. For me the spiritual aspect is very important. So with mundane detailing, I also dwell within the mind.

In the world around me, I might not notice the physical aspect much, which I don't but I try to somehow understand what goes within the mind from ones behaviour. I can speculate and conjure up a whole story in a short poem. Is it not what is writing about? I can write about the very concrete, about the zest of a person and also about stream of consciousness. Both make use of different kinds of detailing. The place for me is not the geographical one but that which is beyond it.

Same goes for my reading too. I like historical novels. In that I like all the period details, the costume, the feel of the place, palaces etc et. If I am reading Stream of Consciousness, I also like to know what is going within the mind. Human behaviour is ever so interesting and I also like to know about the movements a person makes under certain circumstances. I also like descriptions of nature, in any way. Sometimes a season change can bring about a change in the thinking pattern of a person. I like to read about that.

I might as try some detailing into one of daily routines I do. One thing I truly like is to brew tea. The early morning tea. The splash of water inside the kettle stirs me. When I place it to heat up, I like to listen to the water gurgling against the sides. I like to watch the tea intermingling into water when I spoon it into the kettle. The change of colour interests me. From light to dark to black. When I add heated milk, I like the swirling effect of it when it slowly dissolves. And the clinking sound of spoon when I add sugar, is music for me. When the aroma reaches my nose, I am ready to pick up my cup and sip it slowly. Such a mundane stuff can indeed make us reach Nirvana. However, to get into that state we need to keep all our senses wide open.

19 comments:

  1. Great post, Gautami, and I think you've touched on every aspect of detail that interests me as well - from the physical to the emotional details of human behavior.

    As a poet, you've trained yourself to become hyper-observant to detail, which is important for all writer's to do.

    I loved reading about your morning tea ritual - I wrote about mine too (except with coffee ;)

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  2. How true and how beautiful. You have put everything in one go. Wonderful write.

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  3. I like the detail about the water and tea, you make the simplest detail sound so poetic, a dreamy morning ritual, maybe?

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  4. "Such a mundane stuff can indeed make us reach Nirvana" - not truer words were ever written! Great post!

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  5. Nice post, as always. But I'm looking forward to some fiction from you for a 3WW.

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  6. great write, gautami. and i especially like the last line. :)

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  7. thomg, I write mostly poetry. I used to do that for 3WW. I have deviated from it. At least on wednesdays. Fiction, I don't really write it. Not n prose form, at least.

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  8. I also enjoyed the tea paragraph. You make it sound so stately!

    I thought this line was really interesting: "Sometimes a season change can bring about a change in the thinking pattern of a person." How true!

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  9. I mostly write nature poetry so I like when the seasons change. They are as different year to year as the people we encounter. Beauty is certainly everywhere and can definitely cause Nirvana. Well done, Gautami. Have a nice day.

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  10. I particularly enjoyed reading your description of making tea, I enjoy making those observations myself every morning

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  11. Your tea ceremony is very meditational! Great post!

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  12. I'm horrable about details in most things - not good for work. :)

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  13. Very nice. Reading this, I feel like I just had a conversation with you!

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  14. Good one and we learn about your voice and where you are writing from. Thank You for that glimpse of you. The prompt was extremely creative here:)

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  15. That last paragraph is a poem in itsself!

    Thought-provoking post!

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  16. You get inside your own writers' mind very well.

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  17. beautiful, gautami. the morning tea illustrates it all.
    and i think artists in general are more detail orientated than 'ordinary' people.

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  18. I just came by to read this again trying to read between the lines some.

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  19. I am glad to find a kindred soul as far as spotting detail in human behavior. Those details are indeed the most poetic of all.

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