‘N’ is for NOSTALGIA. When writing, use experiences and memories. Capitalize on the effects of something that happened to you, or causes that got you there. Feed into nostalgia by remembering how you got a character out of a conflict in the past. It may help you figure out just how to solve a familiar problem in a new story you’re writing. Use nostalgia to your benefit. Establishing a solid store of connected memories and emotions can make for gripping writing.

When reading, it is pretty readily apparent how we use nostalgia. We find connections in books that give us emotionally charged moments of happiness, sadness, love, hate, anger, etc. We look for books that stimulate these feelings within us because we want to laugh, cry, and be moved. It is important to us to find books of significance, no matter how that significance directly impacts us.

Writing and reading always go hand in hand in some way, because writers write for readers and readers read what writers have written. There will always be a connection, and we just have to focus on how to maintain the nostalgia that writers are trying to create and read from the perspective of someone who is dedicated to seeing the present and future along with the past, because without the past, what you are reading might have been totally different. Everything builds off of everything else, and therefore nostalgia is a very important aspect of books (and life) in general!

How do you use nostalgia when writing and reading?