Distance makes the heart grow fonder

In the recent issue of P&W, Michelle Wildgen writes this:

“After years of thinking setting didn’t inspire me at all, I have come to realize that it does—but only after I’m gone. I’ve learned not to try to write about a place until I’ve left it, whether I was traveling or living there. For instance, I have written two books set in Madison, Wisconsin, but I didn’t feel an urge to set anything there until I had moved to Westchester, New York, to get an MFA. Once I was gone, Madison leapt into focus, and instead of looking out my window and going nuts trying to capture every little thing before me, distance let me edit and reimagine.”

So true, so very true!

Check out the rest of “Writers Recommend” here. Another one I liked is from January Gill O’Neil:

“There are some favorite phrases currently rolling around in my head: universal joint, hounds will hunt forever without any reward, silent as stars, boxed lunch, white athletic socks around hairy calves.”

“Part of the fun of poetry is making sense out of ordinary randomness, thereby making everyday experiences extraordinary.”