The Little Things

What is that old adage about the Devil being in the details. Or maybe the one about taking time to smell the roses is a better analogy.

There are times when we tune into all the details naturally: when we our taking a big test, working on a big project for work, or doing are taxes. Certain tasks simply have “you really need to pay attention here” written all over them. But most of the time, it seems we are peddling through life at such a speed that we overlook the little things. The important things.

And I’m not talking about the scent of that rose-bush as it begins to bloom; that detail can touch you as you breeze by. I’m talking about the texture of the petals, the small tear in a leaf or the crack in the stem. These details take time and patience to notice.

As well as to write about.

Currently, I’m working on a first draft. It occurred to me during a power writing session that the main thing that is missing in a rough draft is the details: the very intricate nuances that take the prose from words on a page to a full-fledged story that can move the reader emotionally.

And what is it they say about writing what we know…or feel. I think the best way to learn how to incorporate these details is to learn how to experience them everyday.