“A writer should seriously consider the use of drawings, maps, and other nonword ways to make a point. Sometimes, no mot is juste.” – Francis Flaherty, The Elements of Story
Words are a valuable resource, but they aren’t the only one. Writers need to employ other media at times. It’s the best way to make a point. Sometimes, it’s the only way.
Visuals make a story more present. The reader sees the unfolding action. Emotions are evoked. What was only black and white letters on the page presents itself in vibrant color. The reader feels a lump in the throat, tears filling the eyes.
Visuals can also make complex ideas easier to understand. Technical writing and how-to manuals are cases in point. The words seem like gibberish until they’re accompanied by a drawing or other graphic.
Visuals can act the editor, too. They require that the words surrounding them be the right words. “Good enough” words aren’t sufficient. The fluff and fat is trimmed when in the presence of visuals. Jargon and filler words stand out in all their gory glory. The words now have to be able to stand on their own two feet; so, too, must the visual. When brought together, they achieve something they could not have done without the other.
To turn to visuals isn’t a giving up on words; rather, it’s an understanding that words are only one form with which a writer can play. When she stops viewing words as her only resource, the world opens to her. She is free to explore all the resources at her disposal, and they include both words and visuals.
Image: Sarah Reid (Creative Commons)