Carpe Diem et Noctem

Day And Night. I Toss And Turn, I Keep Stressing My Mind, Mind.

I don't mind telling you was taken aback by the northern lights this week, dear reader.

I had no idea they'd be visible and so it was only by purest chance that while returning from a birthday party I crossed through a poorly lit section of town and happened to notice the sky was shimmering.

I've always wanted to lay eyes upon the ol' Aurora Borealis but having it thrust upon me so suddenly caught me completely unawares.

I turned off my car and stood out in the cold for far too long, my breath pluming toward a dancing sky as I thought "Well, isnt that something?"

Do I bring that up just to flex on those of you who didn't see those glorious streaks of green and red?

Of course not!

Okay, maybe a little. It was on my bucket list, alright? Cut me some slack.

Really, though, why I thought to mention it is that moment of unexpected wonder got me thinking about some scenes I've read over the years that tried to impart a similar emotion only to fall flat.

They seemed...well the word inauthentic comes to mind. And maybe, just maybe, that's because the authors who wrote them were actually unfamiliar with the sensation they were attempting to portray.

You see, in order to convey ideas or experiences through writing it's important to actually possess a modicum of understanding concerning your subject material, and a great way to gain some is to go out and live a little!

Seriously, the importance of experience in relation to writing cannot be overstated. People who haven't experienced wonder, loss, pain, joy, or beauty can only present a pale imitation of the real thing. Mimicry borders on mockery, leaving what should be poignant as superficial, fake nonsense.

Now, I'm not advocating for you to seek out suffering in your life (let's be real, Life is going to do that for you) but I would encourage you to not settle for googling as a substitute for experience. If you live trapped behind a screen all day then how can you convey any sense of reality to your characters?

With nothing real to base their experiences upon you'll end up with something that feels fake because, well, it is. You need to be the genuine article in some instances before you can describe it is all I'm saying and it doesn't have to be a one to one experience either!

Correlation does wonders for the soul, you know. Case and point: I hunt and therefore while I've never been shot I also don't need to be to know a protagonist shouldn't be able to walk off a blast from a .30-06 like it was a light dusting of cinnamon.

My point is that while it can be a downright bitch at times to make yourself get out there and do "the thing" sometimes you just have to do it.

Get out there. Enjoy life. Find peace in the struggle, beauty in the contest, and allow yourself to be in awe of what you find.

After all, sometimes Life might just surprise you.