Albert Einstein knew that the observer affects an experiment the same way a writer influences what he or she is writing no matter his or her valiant attempt to remain, “objective.”
I just got an email from a non-fiction writer I met at Author 101 who has taken the plunge and started writing his personal experiences into an exercise book with a totally cool take on easy fitness. When we talked he admitted that he’d had a deeper experience than simply “working out,” and that’s what he really wanted to share. When he included himself, the whole experience of writing took on a new luster and he felt much more connected to his work.
A screenwriter told me today that when she included herself in her writing as an invisible character her writing improved.
This “including yourself in” has been a basic principle of my teaching. I even go further and suggest that you write for yourself first. Try imagining as if you were reading or watching what you are writing. It will really help you to make smarter choices because you gain a kind of emotional common sense.
Try it and let me know how it works.
