Nobody Sees Things Like You Do

Think about a story you heard recently, it could be from a friend, a podcast, a film, anything. Any type of story that the moment you heard it, you felt a shift in your body. You felt the emotions of the story as if it were happening to you and you knew you had to tell someone else. You had to repeat it and share the feeling.

What was it about the story? Was it the way they told it? Their excitement? Their pause for breath before they told you the outcome? The small details? The way they smiled just before they said the naughty part? The way their eyes became wider at the moment just before pure wonder hit? Or the way their shoulders dropped just before the moment of realization?

Now hold on to that feeling.

Feel that energy.

Try this:

Choose your initial focus:

• A black cat

• An old tree in a park

• A small neighborhood café

• A well-worn path through the woods

  
  

It's early. Not quite morning, not quite night. What does that in-between time feel like where your [character] exists?

Take a second. Picture it.

What does the air feel like? Heavy and still? Crisp and moving? Warm? Cold enough to notice?

Is there a smell? Coffee brewing? Rain coming? Cut grass? Smoke from somewhere? Something sweet or sharp or just... clean?

Someone or something approaches. What are they looking for? Rest? Direction? A moment alone? Something else entirely?

Something small shifts. Not dramatic. Just... a change. What is it?

Maybe a sound stops, or starts. Maybe light catches something differently. Maybe someone hesitates, or decides not to. Maybe the air changes. Warmer, colder, stiller.

What shifted?

Your [character] notices something about this person or moment. What is it?

What feeling do you get while imagining this? Relief? Anticipation? Quiet? Weight lifting? Something settling?

Because of this small thing, this noticing, something matters now that didn't before.

What changed?

How will you lock your reader in?

Okay, let's pause.

Here's what four other people came up with, with the same prompts:

THE BLACK CAT

"The sun had just dipped below the horizon. That hazy blue hour. A black cat with fur the color of midnight sits perched on the railing of an old fire escape, the kind that zigzags down the outside of the building. A young boy comes back from school, swings his bag over his right shoulder. As it hits the grey concrete he slumps down on the final step. Even the cat can feel it. The tension, the weight radiating from his chest. After a minute, he looks up and notices a large black cat just... watching him, watching his every movement. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, the cat bolts up. The child looks around, trying to find the thing that startled the cat so, but nothing... he couldn't see anything... he looked a little harder at his surroundings... wait... he couldn't see anything or anyone... he was alone. All on his own. As he looked around in confusion, taking in the stillness, he glanced over at the cat. Watching as it silently made its way down the stairs, its light paws almost floated out of sight down the alleyway."

THE OLD TREE

"Dawn, but cold. That October kind of cold where you can see your breath. The old oak tree stands tall, its been there since before this was even a neighborhood, back when this land was nothing but a sea of mighty oaks. A woman stops underneath, doesn't sit. Just stands there with her hand pressed flat against the bark. The tree can feel the warmth of her palm, the slight tremor in her fingers. She's whispering something. Not to anyone. Just... out. The tree notices the way her shoulders shake, just once, then settle. She pulls her hand away slowly, like she's leaving something behind. Takes a step back. Looks up into the branches. Then she smiles. Small, private. And walks away without looking back. The tree holds that warmth on its bark long after she's gone, feeling where her hand had been. Although, this wasn't the first time this had happened..."

THE SMALL CAFÉ

"5:47am. Still dark outside. The lock strains and clicks, clanks twice as the key twists to release the bolts. The café's lights flicker on. That buzzing fluorescent hum. He starts the espresso machine, that familiar growl and hiss. This is his favorite time of day. Then footsteps. Fast. A woman in a smart suit, high heels and her hair in the most perfectly styled bun appears at the window. A little startled, but intrigued, the owner waves her inside. She doesn't say anything. Just stands there, puts her hands on the counter, catching her breath. 'You okay?' he asks. She nods. 'Just needed to stop. Needed to be... somewhere.' He slides her a glass of water. She drinks it in one go. He smiles softly and gestures 'Another one?' She smiles for the first time, her breath visibly under control. She lets out a long breath..."

THE PATH THROUGH THE WOODS

"Just after sunrise. Everything's still wet with dew and there's mist caught in the low spots between trees. The path is old. Dirt packed hard, tree roots breaking through like veins. Someone's walking it alone. Slowly. Like they're trying to remember something or maybe trying to forget. They stop suddenly. Crouch down. There's something in the middle of the path. A bird's nest, fallen but somehow still intact. Three pale blue eggs inside, unbroken. They stare at it for a long time. Then carefully, so carefully, they pick it up and place it in the crook of a low branch, tucked between bark and moss. They stand there a moment longer, hands empty now, looking at what they've done. As they begin to walk away, not knowing the outcome or if their actions were correct, they hear a sound. A quick flutter and flapping. A larger bird is tending to the nest, seemingly flustered but in control and calm. They turn to wlak away but something makes them hesitate..."

Same prompts. Four completely different stories. Different tones. Different emotions. Different details that mattered. The small moments you pay attention to, the details you choose, the meaning you create.

That's you. Your experiences, lessons, your life, they have all led you to this beautifully unique way of thinking and perspective.

Use it and let it empower your storytelling.