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Do you think that writers have better memories than the average person? The reason I’m asking is because since I can recall, I’ve always had a strong, vivid memory. I remember incidents, people, situations, etc…decades after they’ve occurred. I’m not talking about just one incident or a sketchy detail, I’m talking tons of information about things that have happened in my life. I’m not going to necessarily remember dates. However I can recall events and incidents – these are minor incidents that don’t really have much of an impact on my life – I just remember them. For example, when I was nine, my family left the military base since my dad had retired from the Army. We relocated, so, I left behind friends that I had not seen since the fourth grade. Fast forward nine years – I was in college, and I saw a male college student that I remembered from my elementary-school days while my dad was still in the military. He had no idea who I was, but I remembered him. I remembered things we did in elementary school, and I recalled that his mother made a candy house every year and he’d bring it to class and we’d eat it! I then started asking about people that had graduated in his class, and he named people, people that I remembered as if I’d just seen them the previous day.
My mom has a box of old photos and class pictures. I can pull out my kindergarten class picture and name everybody on there. I remember who was who, and I also recall certain incidents that happened while I was in school with these people.
I could go on and on with examples, but I’ll stop here for now. A friend of mine said I remember some of the guys because I probably had a crush on them in school. However, that’s not the case here. I did have crushes, just like most girls do, however, I recall people with vivid clarity, and some of these people I didn’t even have a close relationship with when I was growing up.
I was thinking about this recently and wondered, do writers have better memories than the average person? Do these vivid memories unlock the doors to our minds, exposing us to new ideas on which to focus on for future stories?
Leave a comment!! This inquiring mind wants to know what you think!
I can’t say writer’s have a better memory, as having a good memory is a personal thing that can apply in any field. But One thing am sure of that writers have is ‘great imagination’. Some times when reading a book, I go “wow, whoever thinks of that” lol.
Ochanya – yes, it’s true, writers do have a clear, very vivid imagination! And yes, it’s possible that having a good memory has NOTHING to do with being a writer! Thanks for commenting!
Or maybe it’s not a case of better memory, but remembering things differently? Like, in a more vivid way or as though in a narrative, where someone else might remember details better or something. It’s so subjective that it’s difficult to talk objectively about!
Patent Agent, good point! This subject matter is hard to talk about objectively – we’re talking about the human mind here! However, it is something that has crossed my mind frequently over the years, so, that’s why I wanted to blog about it!
~Cecelia Dowdy~