The Writer, The Voyeur

During my first visit to John's site, Blog Meridian, his recent post struck a chord with me. He explores the random evidences that lives are being lived all around him, lives with which he has no contact but through glimpses into the public-private narratives being spun day by day.

Ever since I was a kid delivering newspapers, I've had a fascination with the narratives undergirding other people's lives. At times, you can almost see how close the web of their lives and social connections/interactions comes to your own. Truly, I don't think I've ever escaped this fascination.

Perhaps the great writers of the world have all been "voyeurs" in some sense. It is those who are truly awake to their surroundings and the wonders of the human space who are able to capture characters realistically, to encapsulate our struggles in a simple narrative, to distill all life into an extended metaphor that just rings with truth. Whimsical musings about the events that transpired to leave, say, a wine glass on a bridge rail (as in John's example) can be excellent practice for a budding author. Sometimes, even, such simple images can inspire entire novels.

For a writer to stop observing is to die.