And your main obsessions have power; they are what you will come back to in your writing over and over again, (42) Osssesions, “Writing Down the Bones”, Natalie Goldberg
Obsessions are a direct consequence of knowing “Thyself” (33), Know Thyself, “Writing to Change the World”, Mary Piper, They are the first topics that pop up when you are freewriting. They are the things that you like or dislike or the topics that irritate or please you. They reveal your wants and your fears. These topics that drive you are the ones you’ll be most vocal about. They are the ones that are most important to you and subconsciously or consciously will effect your writing.
Use original detail in your writing, (45), Original Detail, “Writing Down the Bones”, Natalie Goldberg
Using details you know to describe a scene or an event, real or fictional adds color to your writing. Using imagined details will, to paraphrase Mary Piper say Produce inferior work (47), “What You Alone Can Say”, Writing to Change the World. Goldberg sums up the value of using original detail when she states, The imagination is capable of detail transplants, but using the details you actually know and have seen will give your writing believability and truthfulness. (45), Original Detail, “Writing Down the Bones”. Enough said.
Let small events embody the complexities of large issues, (208), Personal Essay, “Writing to Change the World”, Mary Piper.
As she states, finding a discarded soda bottle while strolling along the can lead to an discussion about pollution and our oceans. Insights from small events that effect life can lead to discussions on a more worldly scale.
