Y'know, initially I loved the thought of where Ruth lived. It seemed peaceful, and at one with nature. Now, I'm just irritated at how nosey and gossipy the locals seem!! I bet you wouldn't even be able to keep a fart to yourself. I would literally have zero friends there, because I'd be telling them all to fuck off and keep out of my business. 🤣

It’s getting into the wee hours, and I’m spiraling because I just finished a book and that reminded me of a talk I had with my students about showing vs. telling, and the magic of visualization. We had a great discussion about dialogue, narration, and the variety of dialogue tags that all help create the vision the author is aiming for in each conversation.

That led to another question: how do we actually visualize when we read? I loved the range of responses I got. Some students said they see full scenes unfolding like a movie, some (like me) hear their own inner monologue narrating the book, and others don’t feel much happening in their heads at all. Needless to say, it blew their minds that visualization looks so different for everyone!

Naturally, I want to know: how do all of you visualize while you read? I want to know your brains. Explain yourselves!

Since I’m an inner-voice kind of reader, I’m a sucker for an immersive read, especially if it includes a graphic audio. 🫖

There is an air of weirdness about this book. The village is drab, and it's people seem hateful. I really want to know what actually happened to the parents. Constance doesn't even leave the house or it's grounds, and the thought of her doing so sends chills through Merricat. What could happen if she did leave?