The Importance Of Visualization And Disciplined Imagination In Writing Fiction
Writing isn’t a gift, but a skill.
Something that must be practiced daily, or at least somewhat consistently over time. To be honest, I don’t write every day. Anyone who does is either a maniac or a liar. For in my case, I need to take breaks. Sometimes weeks off depending on the type of book I’m writing.
Alas, in fiction… good writing isn’t the only skill needed to succeed. I think that more important is the need to build a disciplined imagination. What is this though?
A disciplined imagination is the ability to hold still and moving images in mind for extended periods of time. For example, imagine you’re standing in a hallway. To your right, a window is blown out. Glass shatters, sending fragments spreading in a fluidic elegance across your field of view. Now, hold that image. What does it look like? Can you zoom in? Can you focus your attention on a singular sliver of floating glass?
You reach out and touch it. It’s jagged and chipped, laden with scratches across its transparent surface. Holding it steady between two fingers, you angle it. Catching a glimpse of light skip its waxy reflection.
Hello! We’re D.J. Hoskins
We are Davena and Jason Hoskins, co-authors of 30+ books and siblings who write under the pseudonym D.J. Hoskins. Three years apart and in our twenties, we have been fascinated by stories from a young age. Davena is a student attending Princeton University, and Jason attends Georgetown University.
