So many books. So little time.
In the spare bedroom, against the back wall stands a mirror—tall, narrow, beautifully-bordered. When the door is open I catch a glimpse of the mirror, and the mirror reflects back a glimpse of me. An always different me. Different not just in the outer accouterments, but in the person. There is magic in the mirror.
Do I really change, I ask myself? The answer is both yes, and no. The mirror is a passive instrument that only reflects what it sees. Happy, sad, bored, creative, fearful, enthusiastic, tired, full of vigor. If an unpleasant reflection repeats often, I close the door. "There Mirror," I say, "you can keep your judgements to yourself."
The mirror does not judge, though. It reflects and reports. A writer can learn from that. Be like the mirror, a reporter in seeing the details of your world. Whether it is a work of art, (how often have we stared at a dress in a painting and said confidently, "That is silk,"), or a game of basketball (watch Kobe Bryant’s post-game analysis in Detail, aired by ESPN). Success lies in the attention to details.
Then choose how you want to present your story. A mirror, reflecting back what you see, or a window opening onto new vistas? Both are important, and more importantly, they are not mutually exclusive. A skilled writer can create mirrors that reflect the reader's experience, and windows that allow them to look out to the created world, and let the world peek in and learn.
A good book is the magic that reveals the world to the reader.