Look Closer at What You Think You Know

Because there's a pretty good chance that you're wrong, and don't know everything after all

This is part of my “Art of Noticing” series, in which I learn, find, or discover the things around me that usually go unnoticed and turn them into an endless source of creative inspiration.

NOTE: The last of these “Noticings” blog posts will run on April 13th. I’m going to keep recording the 9-minute daily podcast on which these posts are based, though, so if you want to keep your dose of daily Noticings, be sure to subscribe to the Art of Noticing podcast here on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

(You could also listen here on Substack, but that’s a miserable way to listen to a podcast so I don’t recommend it. Do yourself a favor and use a podcast app so you can listen on your commute or at the gym or something.)

There are moments where you just feel stupid. I had one the other day.

I’m a Harry Potter fan. I’ve read the books and watched the movies many times. In the fourth movie, I’ve often commented on the actor who plays Barty Crouch Jr. (in particular, I thought the snakelike “licking the lips” gesture was over-the-top). So I’ve remarked on the guy a bunch of times. It’s not like he slipped past my attention.

But then the other day, someone drew my attention to “that actor … he’s also in Dr. Who?” And that’s when it hit me: Holy fuck, that’s David Tennant playing the role I’ve commented on so often. I know Tennant. I like Tennant. How the hell did I miss that he plays Crouch Jr.?

It got me thinking that we’re often complacent, not noticing things we definitely should notice. What does that say about the potential for “didn’t notice that” in our writing?

Here's how this "noticing" can benefit my stories and art:

Uncover Hidden Layers

Challenge yourself to closely observe "boring" everyday items and settings — and go a bit deeper than you’d do to just obey the point of this “noticing” podcast. As an exercise, consider describing them as if for the first time, with fresh vivid details.

You might find some interesting things. You might even make the mundane exotic again. Apply this to characters too - find something new in the people you thought you knew fully as you wrote them. Chances are, there are still unseen things that might surprise you.

Adding Layers Will Reward Close Readers, Making Them Love You More

Everyone loves feeling smart, so I personally like to put clues and Easter eggs — or, relevant to this post, MORE LAYERS — into my work for close readers to find and enjoy finding. You can hide subtle clues, symbols, or foreshadowing early in your story, making them hard to spot at first glance … but visible to those really paying attention.

Remember, books are becoming a commodity these days. Authors are spitting them out at breakneck speed, especially if they’re assisted by AI. If you want to stand out as an individual, you have to level-up your game … and hiding things in plain sight is one of my favorite ways to do it!

Want to learn on the go?
Reading these posts is only one way to get these lessons. Every post here has a companion episode of my 10-minute, multi-times-weekly podcast, The Art of Noticing.

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