the craft. always be observing.

There is an age-old concept in sales, the ABCs, always be closing. It’s all about having multiple irons in the fire. Knowing that you should always be pitching, selling, and ultimately closing deals because sales is a numbers game. Thankfully, we’re not in sales. You can take a deep breath. However, as writers, what I feel is just as valuable, is the idea that you should always be observing.

We live in a world where people are always talking, I mean, everyone and their mom has a podcast mic. But the beautiful thing about writing is that it involves listening just as well as having something to say. That’s how we get those luxurious descriptions. That’s how we come up with those amazing concepts. Hell, I recently did a binge of Blood, Sweat, & Heels because it was on Netflix, and that first season all started with Demetria using brunch as inspo for a blog post. Whether you know it or not, observing is a huge part of this gig.

If you’re like me and sometimes sit staring at the screen trying to figure out the best way to say something, then this idea will be helpful to you. When it comes to always observing, it doesn’t matter whether I’m actively writing something or not. In the time between getting to the page, I’m constantly engaged in what’s happening and trying to take stock of what could be great in my work. Have you ever been in a group setting and thought, I am totally putting this in a book? Then you are not alone.

This summer, some writing friends of mine all took a trip to a place called Bombay Beach for an eclectic literary festival near the Salton Sea. A man-made body of water that is absolutely toxic to wildlife. I mean, the beach has fish bones. It was a wonderfully weird little place. But when I tell you, we were literally parsing out which elements we could all use in some later works in progress. It was too rich. The city was giving full on Mad Max.

The key to this is to always be writing things down from those observations. I know you may think you have a great memory. But wait until that late thirties hits ya, if you’re not there already. The biggest disservice we can do to ourselves as writers is to think we’ll remember. That thing that popped in our head at 3 a.m. The lovely conversation on a boat ride. The night you never want to forget in New York City. Whatever it is, write it down in the moment. The beauty is, with technology you don’t even have to look like the strange writer with the small notebook. Unless it’s your aesthetic. You can simply use that good ole notes app on your phone. But most importantly, you have to REVISIT IT from time to time.

I was recently looking through my notes app for something else, but I started reading through all these random notes that I’d taken over the years. Sometimes really amazing descriptions of places I’d been. Wonderful one-liners that could be made into dialogue. It was like a closet of prose and I could pick out anything to wear depending on the occasion. I love when I can match something up so perfectly.

You know I love an example. El oh el. One of the lines I found in my notes was this, “all with an undercurrent of sadness because between moments of joy lies an ocean of grief.” I am working on a novel that centers long standing grief, and I thought, oh this is too good. I have to add this to my story. I was listening to something or someone and this popped into my head and into my notes app. And what a beautiful place to mine.

Perk those ears up. Wipe off those musty glasses. Can I just say that mine are embarrassingly cloudy at times? And take notice of the world around you. The good, the bad, the miraculous. It’s too rich to miss. Too rich to only be lost in your own head. But to really be able to observe and most importantly translate. That is how we make real connections in the things that we write whether fiction or nonfiction. That sunset that you describe from the beaches of Cape Town or Malibu, someone else saw it too. And they’ll get to relive it within the pages of your work.

Now, be careful that your observations don’t cause conflict. See the aforementioned Blood, Sweat, & Heels. But mold them into something beautiful, something tangible that readers will hold onto forever and ever.

Writing Exercise

This week, take a few moments to observe. A conversation, a city, a coffee shop. How do people move? What are their facial expressions? What could be on their mind? How do the birds make their way around the park? Pick anything and write about it. Record something that may not have a place now, but will be perfect in a work somewhere down the line.

A little business

First, I want to thank you for being a part of this community for another year of 2023! It’s so amazing to get to write to you every Monday about this thing we all love, writing, and I hope you find it useful. To keep providing great value as a part of the Permission Granted community, I am asking you to take a few minutes to complete a survey. Each year, we strategize on improving the membership and being sure to bring you the most valuable resources and information.

Lastly, there will not be a craft newsletter on Monday, Dec. 25th. I mean even the Lord rested at some point. But I will see you bright and early in the new year.

Love and always more love,

Ashley

Writing/Job Opportunities

If you're interested in pitching Jezebel they’re open to a little bit of everything: Reporting, deep dives, essays, short blogs, book reviews, style stories, weird musings, ideas everyone told you were stupid, etc. Email Lauren Tousignant at ltousignant@jezebel.com (or tips@jezebel.com).

Grist is hiring a Staff Writer, Food & Agriculture. ($76-90k).

Quirk Books is hiring a Publicity/Marketing Assistant. ($40k). Philly-based. One day in the office/week.

Black Love is hiring a Managing Editor. ($90-110k).

Assembly Media, Inc. is hiring an Editorial Associate/Writer, Corporate Communications. ($69-108k). LA based. Three days in office/week.