The beauty of a spring day, fresh air, a pen, and a notebook. What could be better?
As snow melts and days warm up we’re drawn to sunshine and fresh air outside our homes. There we find the joy of new green grasses, the prowling of cats and the twittering of birds. Our eyes adjust to bright light and again we feel blessed by the renewal of the world.
At times like this, a pen can be a great companion, along with a notebook and a chair to sit in as we write about what we see and experience in the great out-of-doors. There’s no better way to write about nature than to be out in it, experiencing it, writing about our sensations and feelings as they come to us. No amount of sitting in an artificially lit room in front of a computer will replace what’s real in the world… the ant crawling up the tree trunk beside you, the sound of the wind rustling the fir tree about, the cool breeze across your cheek.
As writers of children’s literature we can head for the nearest playground to observe the type of people we write for. Watch them interact and play, and write about what you’re seeing, what you’re hearing, and what you’re learning. Children are an amazing force in nature. Write down their words, their fantasies and dreams. As you observe and write you’re bound to have some outstanding insights into things children love and would like to read about. Your inspiration from an afternoon of playground writing could spark ideas you’ll include in your next story or novel.
Sit beside a river and watch it flow. Write about the geology of the riverbank, the destination of the water, the speed at which it tumbles over rocks and wears them away. Then fantasize a little. What did the river look like two hundred years ago with natives paddling by in dugout canoes? What strange creatures lurk under the water? Is there a Nessie in your imagination?
There’s something magical about experiential writing. The details are sharper and the concepts clearer. Writing later about a trip to the seashore might be fun, but writing while you’re there will bring each speck of sand into focus. You’ll write about the wind in your face and the seagulls calling to one another over an expanse of tiny white-capped wavelets. These little details could be forgotten once you’re at home in front of your computer.
Many nature writers specialize in one thing – spending years getting to know their subjects. Whether it is bird life or a special lake or clouds and storms, they become experts and delve deeply into understanding the most minute details that most observers will miss entirely.
I love to take my morning journal outside in the springtime. As I sit in a chair in the south meadow with the sun streaming down, my thoughts turn to nature and I’m no longer clouded by the atmosphere of the cabin I live in. I can smell the sweetness of wild flowers and occasionally am distracted by a cat racing after a butterfly which is always just out of reach.
Let the world suggest some themes to you. Go outside to write. See what nature mixed with inspiration brings.
Leave a Reply