Things Remembered

Never write about a place until you’re away from it because it gives you perspective. Immediately after you’ve seen something you can give a photographic description of it and make it accurate. That’s good practice but it isn’t creative writing. Ernest Hemingway

Things Remembered

         Birthdays and anniversaries are particularly interesting as a backdrop for dramatic stories.
         Birth is dramatic in itself: pain, violence, love and risk of death are potential points involved in birth. Birth brings the anticipation of future events that are, likewise, dramatic. Anniversaries have the same potential for drama.
         Beginning a story on a birthday or anniversary and recounting the journey from the original event is an effective technique. It is particularly good if the results are at odds with the expectation.
         As Hemingway said, the distance from the event gives the writer perspective and adds meaning.
         Memory distills meaning so that only essence is left. The meaning comes with the distance.