Ideas And Treatments: The Art Of Imagination by: GF Willmetts.
When I was young, I used to think everyone was like me: having a vivid imagination and slowly being able to turn it into physical creativity. As I started to grow, I assumed kids my own age didn’t have time to develop such skills or hide them. After all, I was the only one from school who had extended hospital stays or a serious infection that left me home for 3 months, much of the time on my own and with time to develop my abilities. I later discovered that I was in a class of my own when it came to imagination and creativity, and developing them across the board was my own accomplishment, along with the acquisition of basic skills.
This is true for any geek, except that we didn’t have such a name back then. Even the term ‘nerd’ wasn’t around in the UK. People viewed us as eccentrics and outliers, not because of our talents. We were just oddly talented with different hobbies and rarely fitted in anywhere for long. It would be a long time before the Internet cut the distance to others. Being one of a kind, at least to me, was what made me unique, even if I didn’t see it back then. Among all creative talents, however, certain aspects of imagination can be taught.
Everyone has ideas, even those who claim to lack imagination. Even if you’re not a fan of science fiction, it’s important to understand the practical aspects of your life, even if you don’t recognize it as such. This can encompass anything from how you decorate your living space to your mode of transportation, aiming to be as universal as possible. You consider your desires before taking action, but this is still an act of imagination, as it involves envisioning your ideal lifestyle and then achieving it. You may find your choices manipulated by advertising or other people, but ultimately, the final choice is yours. If you find yourself changing your mind later and changing it again, it likely indicates that you haven’t found something that aligns with your psyche or meets your taste for a long-term solution. It could simply be a sign of boredom with your current situation and a desire for a change. I don’t know if this is common to all geeks, but I tend to be happy with what I have around me, adding to the odd detail, and reluctant to move things. Perhaps I identify my needs early on and shift my focus to something else. You could say I have a lot on my mind and flit from one thing to another.
Before you ask, I tend to be happy with the bland wallpaper my late parents chose for my house, which doesn’t distract from the various pictures and items I’ve since added to the walls. Many of the furnishings, particularly the shelving for my CDs and DVDs, are my own creations, as I am quite capable of constructing them myself. For books, I typically use pre-purchased bookcases due to their lightweight nature. Even so, I’m not beyond converting a heavy computer table into a TV table, providing shelves for my DVD recorders, and even adding an extra mobile shelf before putting it into place. I have even modified various chests of drawers with wheels to enhance their mobility. Does any of this sound familiar, or is it a latent skill I got from my dad? As an idea merchant, I apply my creative skills to whatever I need, first imagining what I need and then figuring out how to achieve it, but I also have a knack for problem-solving. The only challenge I’m currently facing is locating suitable cardboard boxes for magazines in the attic, primarily due to their size and ease of mobility. However, I anticipate resolving this issue once I figure out what to do with the unused boxes. Before you ask, I have considered building metal shelving in the attic, but it is awkward to move everything out of the way in construction, but I’ll probably work out a solution.
The point I’m making is that even if some of you don’t know it, imagination is part of everyday life; you just might not see it that way. If you imagine what a change might look like before you make it, then yes, you are using your imagination. The difference between you and me is that I do it all the time. I always seek solutions and don’t overlook the less apparent options. I just can’t help myself. I suspect that the geeks among you do a similar thing, provided that their ability can have a physical manifestation in creativity, which is only stopped by innate skill. You might not call it creativity, but it comes out in all we do.
Only a few of us, the crazy ones, can truly apply it to stories. However, the description provided above does not fully capture the essence of the concept. First, I’ll go through the mechanics of storywriting and see if you can see a match to something you do in your life. If you observe yourself engaging in such activities, it indicates that you are engaging in imagination.
The first part is the idea, i.e., you want to do a particular action. The second part involves transforming the idea into a plot, which can vary greatly depending on personal preferences and skills such as woodworking. It also means you don’t have to be the catalyst for both. Someone else may give you an idea, but the rest is up to you, or vice versa. If the idea isn’t always original, then it’s how you interpret it. If you can do both, so much the better.
Strangely, people consider ideas to be easy to come by. Implementation requires a lot of thought. What materials? What tools are needed? What skills do I already possess or do I still need to acquire? Then it’s just a matter of getting them all together with enough time and incentive to do the task. Setting a time limit, even if you go over it, gives you a schedule. Often overlooked is the consideration of potential errors. The wrong screwdriver head. Not enough strength to turn a screw or, as I found out recently, selecting bolts to match the holes drilled when really I only needed them slightly bigger to tighten the pieces properly. I just take it as basic thinking and some innate talent inherited from my late dad, while others think I make it look too easy. Much of it involves anticipating and planning for every possible scenario, and when something unexpected arises, being adaptable enough to swiftly resolve it. Even with the best of intentions, one can still forget or overlook something, including myself, so it’s important to be flexible in finding solutions. While I may recognize my own errors, others may only become aware of them when they see the finished product.
The mechanics of this are applicable to everything. When it comes to storytelling, Determine the basic idea and how you will treat it. Don’t just take the first treatment. Having several to choose from means you have a better chance of choosing one that others haven’t considered. More thinking now reduces problems later. Once you establish this habit, determining the most effective treatment becomes easier. You can learn to do it better. Chances are, though, that if you give several writers the same idea, the treatments will all be different. This doesn’t imply that there won’t be any resemblances; simply compare specific themed stories to identify commonalities, and you’ll discover something that aligns more with your personal perspective.
From there, you need to research. Researching first often reveals other possibilities and details, so it’s always useful to be flexible in building up the details to create a secure plot. If you have a misconception, then it’s important to find a remedy. You can then map out the plot and identify the required characters. How much detail at this stage is up to you. Establishing a foundation doesn’t compel you to proceed, but it provides a solid foundation in case you encounter difficulties. It also lets you change ideas if you find something better while writing.
At this point, most storycraft is far more mechanical. The actual writing depends on good vocabulary, descriptive detail, dialogue, and the odd bit of metaphor when appropriate. Comedy arises when you possess the ability to find humor in a given situation. A significant part of comedy involves incorporating elements of reality into any given genre. Even fiction has some truths, including character interpretation. If some people think it’s stereotyping, it’s largely because there are limits to character types, but it does make them recognisable without going into massive detail. It’s rather interesting how we can identify villainous traits far stronger than heroic. What does it say about ourselves? Perhaps our warning signs to be careful around some people go up.
Sometimes, it’s effortless to navigate through the mechanics of this process. I make a note of all my story ideas, and some sit around for ages until I come up with a suitable treatment for them. The same applies to other projects. I can rush when needed, but everything has its place.
You have an idea, and you look at the best way to implement it. The process extends to selecting the appropriate bookcase. An extra-depth bookcase makes it not only easier to stow big books but doubles the space for smaller books. All you need to do is measure the dimensions to ensure you purchase a bookcase that fits. That and following building instructions. The important thing to remember is that you thought about how to do it first. You aren’t beyond imagining. Once you exercise that mental muscle, you can begin to apply it. I should point out that instructions with bookcase parts say it needs two people and, as I’m only one, then I need to work out the best way around that, and, yes, there are ways.
Other skills have to be learnt. I learnt how to use a jigsaw this summer. The saw, not the puzzle On light wood, cutting in a straight line was easy. Heavier woods would veer slightly, but I practiced and got it right. The ability to learn new skills all the time makes it easier not to think I can’t do that. If it’s feasible, we can acquire and improve it. The better the tools, the easier it gets. If you use cheap tools and make mistakes, you are more likely to blame yourself rather than the tools you use, even for a simple job. How many of you have been discouraged from painting since your school days? Cheap water colours have a lot of impurities, and mixing them together brings them out in a brown mess.
Selecting the right tools can be based on comparison or what you really need rather than something too fancy. A heavy-duty screwdriver can be just as effective as an electric one. There are many occasions when I’ve used my dad’s defunct electric screwdriver solely because it was heavy enough to open or close a specific screw. However, he instilled in me the habit of never discarding anything that could potentially serve another purpose.
Being able to plan someone out and bring it to fruition is all part of the imagination. Identifying obstacles means finding a way to overcome them without giving up. It may occasionally take time, but so does the process of finding the best solution. My ideas file is full of plot ideas that haven’t quite reached their right time yet. When they do, they are ready to be implemented. A lot of projects depend on short or long-term periods, and sometimes working to a tight deadline brings out concentration levels you didn’t realise you had.
You might refer to imagination as ingenuity, but it’s essentially the same concept under a different name. It’s only a label for a frame of thought. Creativity is putting it into action. It’s also very rewarding to look and think or say, ‘I did that.’ You can’t get a greater feeling of accomplishment than that. The ability to improvise will never leave you. Still think you lack imagination? Next, apply it to other things and see what you come up with.
© GF Willmetts 2024
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