Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Giving the Reader an Earful

The relationship between reading and imagination is truly astonishing. Think about it. Twenty-Six abstract symbols are combined in a manner that describes something.

The eyes scan the symbols, line by line just like a computer scans code. The eye, when dealing with reality provides graphic imagery but in reading acts more like a text reader. This text is converted into the imaginative imagery that has a smattering of the effect intended by the writer.

Some writers achieve a higher quality effect and therein lies the talent and technical skills of the writer. I have said it before but it bears repeating. Golden prose might be enough for the poet but for a writer understanding the tactical, operational and strategic dimensions of the craft is imperative.

In my class, the Exploratory Writing Workshop these aspects and their components are examined. Maybe I should give some attention to the auditory aspects of imagination. That would be an earful.