Unlock the Secret of the Rose: Transform Your Writing with Powerful Detail as Narrative
When she arrived at my desk, she peered at my page. I looked up and saw her frown.
“Tell me about your mother,” she said.
“But there’s much more drama around my father,” I responded.
“That may be true, but just tell me one thing — one unusual detail — about your mother.”
It took a moment, but out came, “Well, my mother did grow up in a hotel.”
“Ah. That’s it!” A smile came to her face. “You must write about your mother.”
And, before I could argue, off she strolled to the next writer.
That was the day I learned about the value of the well-selected detail. The one that comes to mind when we think of a particular person. The one we recall long after reading a book. The ones that signals a storyline.
