Visual Imagery -Great for Mind Movies!

In the course of twenty four hours I received emails from two mates in vastly different parts of the world. Colin Murray wrote about an experience en-route to Budapest to conduct teamwork and safety training for oil workers. Chris Lowery wrote about his wonderful vacation experience on the Trans Siberian railway, an epic journey that took him from Moscow to Beijing. I was immediately struck by the strong visual imagery both writers conveyed through their choice of words.

Colin in the course of explaining his in flight experience wrote:

“My flights here were sprinkled with the usual array of personalities. From Singapore to Frankfurt, a mere 13 hours, I had a stick insect perched next to me. She came from India I suspect and was facially quite beautiful. She was also stunningly slim. She arrived onboard quite late, had no carry-on save a miniscule plastic bag, sat mantis-like in the seat next to me, said nothing, ate nothing, drank nothing, moved minimally and simply slept in the linear position. She didn’t even shed shoes or jacket. She must have had a caste-iron bladder or perhaps she was in hibernation!
Of course the yin and yang prevails as across from me was her complete counter-balance a florid gargantuan in a floral tent and white matador pants. She resembled an ocean liner. She simply ate her way to Frankfurt. She consumed vigorously and sought yet more helpings with that ever-so-well known ‘call of the porker’ - “Yes please … but just a small portion”. As I dosed breezy sensations told me Miss Pudding Bowl 1975 had hoisted herself out of her seat and headed for the loo. An image started to develop but I squeezed my eyes shut and let furtive sleep reclaim me…”

Chris related part of his epic train journey and the places encountered along the way:

“…Nauski. Now there’s a place. This hot dump in the middle of nowhere where you are required to sit around for three hours while the trains convert the gauges is borderline unbearable. No shade. No cold drinks. Filthy beyond recognition. Utterly forgettable. Listening to Lyrnryd Skynryd and reading an old Classic Rock for the sixth time was my one relief .We are now on the train and sitting patiently waiting for the guards to inspect our visas and passports and it is heating up. The train is air conditioned, but poorly so, and only when we are in motion. Who said travel was all souvenirs, sights and vodka?”

Chris as part of his journey also visited the Great Wall of China:

“I gazed over the foggy mountaintops at the snaking wonder on the Great Wall trailing off in the distance and tried to imagine how it was physically possible to get those stones up the mountainsides to make such an impressive structure. How many must have died completing the only manmade object observable from space? I daydreamed and just sat and stared for a full 30 minutes. Not one other soul in sight – apart from a silent guard at each vantage point along the trail. Just gold and time to let the imagination of the ancient Chinese Dynasties, wash around me.

Both Colin and Chris are adept at using words to paint a scene in the minds of their readers. Thank you both for shining a light through the window of your respective lives. Great mind movies to savor. I have been reading as a writer here and that has further enriched my reading. Visual imagery, created through strong descriptive writing.

Whether you are bound for Budapest, traveling the Trans Siberian Railway, or like me currently sitting at my desk, you can take your readers with you if you remember your readers need to be able to visualize your words.

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