Free Deep Dive: The Power of Words. The Power of Silence.
Two words to play with and think about this coffee break.
A coffee break where we look at a line or two from writing by someone brilliant to illuminate and see the world anew. For a moment.
If you’re new here, my name is Alice Kuipers and I’m a writer, mother and dog-owner transplanted twenty years ago to the Canadian prairies from England. I’ve published fourteen books in 36 countries and my writing has been described as: “For storytellers and story lovers,” by Kirkus Reviews; ‘Gorgeous, heart-ripping, important,” by VOYA; and “Intense and wonderful” by Bif Naked. Join me for coffee breaks to look at lines from great writers in these Thursday updates from me. xoxo
On Meet-The-Teacher night at my littlest son's school, I discovered this anagram on the whiteboard.
LISTEN
SILENT
It struck me. Two words. Different and yet the same. Six letters rearranged to mirror each other. And it reminded me of an event several years ago. At the time, I believed I had a problem with my hearing. I showed up at the audiologist’s office, a small, grey room in some corner of Saskatoon.
He was an older man, wizened and wrinkled. Beginning the test, he played a series of beeps and boops, peered in my ears, and tutted. Eventually, he sat in front of me on a swivel stool.
“You hear perfectly. Exceptionally.”
I nodded. Pleased. Puzzled. “So, why can’t I hear people when they talk to me?”
“You need to learn.”
“Learn what?”
(Do you see where this is going?…)
“You need to learn to listen,” he said, grinning. “When your partner speaks, listen. Stop. Turn. Be silent.”
Over the years, I've learned to become a better teacher. I want to share what I know about writing to help other writers share their stories. Teaching is about listening.
Listening is about being silent.
Not all the time. but if I'm constructing what I'm going to say, I'm not listening. If someone is talking and I'm silent, I can hear their words. When they fall quiet, I can give my best advice.
Some of my closest friends and family will be laughing as they read this. Listening isn't my super power.
Not yet.
But as I teach, I learn. I listen. I'm silent. And when I share my advice and ideas, I've got better at knowing when to speak and when to be quiet. Over @thenovelry where I coach writers, I consciously remind myself before each session: LISTEN/SILENT. Probably I should write it somewhere I can see it.
The power of words. The power of silence.
Please comment with a book you love, a moment you listened in silence, a story from your life! Your comments give me an excuse to play on here. You help me make this space better for you. And I love hearing your words.
xoxox
Alice
Chills! Can’t wait to read the rest.
Wonderful! So gently written, so calm, and yet so seductive! If that makes sense at all. What you wrote about being silent and listening - I feel this in your writing. You have been silent in your head and allowed the words to come in gently, and softly. Sounds a bit mad when I write this, but when I think for words to describe this bit of writing, I get calm, quiet, complete, and I want to know more about the detective! Not so much about the victim. But I know from this section that I will enjoy the rest of the book.
And I am under no illusion that you just threw these words onto the page - they were delicately crafted, with the meaning and feeling of each word, very carefully considered! And you went over them and over them until they were just perfect and said exactly what you wanted them to say, with no hint of possibility that the reader might misinterpret what you wanted to say. :-)