W ritingcan be a solitary occupation, of course, but preparing to write is different. People get mentioned in this column regularly: people you meet or contact for information (whether intentionally or by chance) can contribute so much to your content. Others may be unwittingly useful; they get a mention and perhaps add to the description of a scene or event without you doing more than observe them. Still others you may want nothing to do with and avoid. No one wants a crying baby near them on a plane. My fantasy of hearing one of the flight crew say, ‘I’m sorry Mrs Stephens, but your baby is way too loud and will have to go in the hold’ is sadly unlikely ever to come to pass.
A point I have made here before is that it may well be necessary to take an initiative and start a conversation with people you do not know. If you find doing so awkward, consider the potential rewards. Another factor only struck me recently. While you may want to talk to people with knowledge of a place or an event, sometimes someone who knows nothing can contribute in a different way. Someone seeing something or somewhere for the first time, and perhaps in awe of the experience, may cast light on something with which you are familiar, something that has perhaps become routine to you.
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