I recently read an article about Miami Vice, the television show that premiered 35 years ago this fall. The show had a big impact on me, the city, other viewers, and the television and film industries. My favorite quote from the article by Craig Pitmann on the website Crime Watch summarized its popularity:
But people weren’t watching Miami Vice for the plots. They were watching it for the attitude, the visuals, the music—the feeling it gave them.
https://crimereads.com/miami-vice-how-an-icon-of-80s-cool-transformed-a-city-and-the-landscape-of-television/
Breaking through to the emotions and feelings where people connect is a talent and a skill that artists struggle with throughout their careers. We want our work to touch people's lives with universal truth, but our perceptions, as well as those of the audience, can block the message.
For me to get to a state of writing from pure emotion, I need an image, sound, or information that speaks to me. Sometimes I view other forms of art like paintings, sculpture, or documentaries. Discovering the backstory of an artist I've never heard of is interesting, and helps me realize how much we are alike in trying to find connections in a physical or emotional space. Other times it's not so magical, and I hear a word or word combination from an advertisement for an everyday product like cheese that makes me think of that word or combination in a new way.
When I'm not inspired externally, I go inside to a quiet space to think. I ask myself about the feeling, compare it to something else, and (try to) describe it. I dig deeper. I define what I think and figure out how to represent those thoughts through words. Sometimes I read a few pages from a favorite book to remind me how words can work together beautifully.
Regardless, it's not easy finding the place where we keep all the feelings and connect on an emotional level. But when we get there, your readers will remember 35 years later.
Mary Horner is a freelance writer, editor, and teacher.
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But people weren’t watching Miami Vice for the plots. They were watching it for the attitude, the visuals, the music—the feeling it gave them.
https://crimereads.com/miami-vice-how-an-icon-of-80s-cool-transformed-a-city-and-the-landscape-of-television/
Breaking through to the emotions and feelings where people connect is a talent and a skill that artists struggle with throughout their careers. We want our work to touch people's lives with universal truth, but our perceptions, as well as those of the audience, can block the message.
For me to get to a state of writing from pure emotion, I need an image, sound, or information that speaks to me. Sometimes I view other forms of art like paintings, sculpture, or documentaries. Discovering the backstory of an artist I've never heard of is interesting, and helps me realize how much we are alike in trying to find connections in a physical or emotional space. Other times it's not so magical, and I hear a word or word combination from an advertisement for an everyday product like cheese that makes me think of that word or combination in a new way.
When I'm not inspired externally, I go inside to a quiet space to think. I ask myself about the feeling, compare it to something else, and (try to) describe it. I dig deeper. I define what I think and figure out how to represent those thoughts through words. Sometimes I read a few pages from a favorite book to remind me how words can work together beautifully.
Regardless, it's not easy finding the place where we keep all the feelings and connect on an emotional level. But when we get there, your readers will remember 35 years later.
Mary Horner is a freelance writer, editor, and teacher.
