The Eyes Have It

Caught of snap of this coyote as I drove out of our subdivision today. And met up with this javelina outside a local hospital.

These recent sightings reminded me of a webinar I took from Jeff Herring on article writing and marketing a few years ago.

Jeff suggested we look at the world with “article eyes,” alert to everything that might turn into article topics.
Shortly after, I saw something sad that got me thinking about the different kinds of eyes and how they might see the same event.

As I drove down a busy street, a car hit and killed a squirrel. Nothing to be done for the poor little critter but mourn its loss. On the way home I thought about different eyes.

Article eyes:

Driving Safety Tips: Five Reasons You Should Never Swerve to Avoid an Animal in the Street, Unless it is Larger than Your Car

Automobile Care Tips: How to Clean Fur, Blood and Guts from Your Wheels

Cooking Tips: Seven Recipes for Fresh Squirrel

Cooking Tips: Roadkill: the Ultimate in Recycling

Novelist Eyes:

Romance — She stomped the brakes but didn’t dare swerve. When she heard the faint, horrid thump beneath her tires, her eyes clouded with tears and she pulled to the side of the road. The driver behind her also slowed and stopped. As she stood outside her vehicle, sobbing, looking into the road at the lump that had once been a living creature, a deep, soft voice, said “You did the right thing, you know. Nothing else you could do.”

Mystery — Somehow, some way, someone threw several stuffed squirrels from the bed of the battered old pick-up. No one was visible, yet the little beasts flew out and hit the road in front of Cheri. The way they bounced made it clear they were toys. But why so many? And why wasn’t the tosser visible? She missed most of the stuffed animals and sped up, following the truck. The license plate was smeared with mud. Who was back there? What were they trying to tell her?

Thank you, Jeff. Great idea. We as writers need to stay alert to what’s going on and then put our own personal spins on the events we see. If it doesn’t fit the w.i.p., then make a note and put it in your idea file. I keep little 3 x 5 cards with me most of the time to capture those fleeting ideas.

What would your writer eyes make of my two desert critters?