Thursday 1 May 2014

Thinking in pictures

Apparently #Dyslexic people think in pictures. Talking to friend and fellow writer Mick Walters who suffers from dyslexia he sees his stories as an ongoing film which he then has to translate into words. This made me look at how my imagination functions. If I hear the word "dog" I don't immediately see a dog, as Mick would. In fact the more I think about it, the more I realize that I am a very word orientated person. Except for when I "see" a character, which is often the starting point of a book for me, I usual verbalize my thoughts. Which of course makes it easier to write them down.

The downside of this sort of brain is, that I have very poor spatial awareness. I never really know if I can, or can't fit into a parking space. Also I'm not very good at directions, unless they are written down. I can follow a map, if I hold it the right way up for me and trace our journey with my finger, but far, far easier for me if someone has given me verbal instructions.

I deal in words, Mick deals in pictures, but he too needs to tell a story. I've often wondered why so many people with dyslexia write, even though it's harder for them, than for the rest of us. Now I'm beginning to get an insight into the answer.

1 comment:

  1. I think in pictures, but they are not complete. For example, when reading, I hardly ever pick up what the protagonist actually looks like. Instead, I see an entity, an energy, a feeling almost, if you get me. Though, maybe I should put this thought process down to my generation and my late-coming to books. Throughout my youth, I have been in front of a screen, playing games or watching a film. Maybe that has something to do with it. I've always wondered what I would be like if I had read first and watched later.

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