The Element of Wonder

"Wonder is the elemental wisdom of a child, a wisdom that is wide open to awe." - T.A. Barron

"The best stories infuse wonder." - Andrew Stanton

Wonder is one of my favorite elements of a story. But it's not always easy to write. 

To be surrounded by the world, and to capture a brief moment in time is to be in wonder. It is an incredible and  magical part of a story. 

When the audience is in awe, they are with the characters in that moment, seeing the world through their eyes. They are no longer a passive observer, but a participant in the story itself. 

To create wonder, I think of things that leave me in awe in the real world: 

Bubbles: real for a moment, and gone in a moment

Rain in the sunshine: Streaks of light falling from the sky

Butterflies: living from moment to moment

Sunsets: vibrant colors that paint the sky

The ocean: each wave different, but still flowing

Waterfalls: Towering pillars of water reaching for the ground

The Night Sky: filled with stars and revealing just how small we are

Autumn Leaves: red and gold shades of once green plants

Fireworks: Bursts of light in the sky

Flying: skimming the clouds in a manmade craft

The Coral Reef: Beautiful fish in bright colors

There are so many things in life that create wonder. 

Here are my favorite movie, TV show and videogame scenes with wonder:

When Belle sees the library in Beauty and the Beast 

The magic carpet ride in Aladdin

Luigi's flight in Pokemon

The Rainbow bridge in Thor

Seeing Rivendell for the first time in Lord of the Rings

When Bilbo confront Smaug in The Hobbit

When Harry sees Diagon Alley in Harry Potter

When the Croods see the stars for the first time

When the Gargoyles come to life in Gargoyles

Yuna's dance in Kilika from FFX

When Lightning sees the Ceiling of Sky on Pulse in FFXIII

WaLLE and EVE dance in space

Remy sees the Paris skyline

Aang visits the Spirit World in Avatar the Last Airbender

The Land of Music in Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance

When Jane sees the Gorilla nest in Tarzan

The Coral Reef scene in Finding Nemo

The ballroom scene in Ever After

 The World beyond dreams in Inception

When Jake enters the Navi body in Avatar

Haku's flight in Sprited away

Sailor Moon's transfomation into Super Sailor Moon

Chibiusa's flight with Helios

The lantern scene in Tangled

The marriage vows between Rumple and Belle in Once Upon A Time

When Kairi saves Sora in Kingdom Hearts

When Ventus, Terra and Aqua watch the meteor shower in Birth by Sleep

Star Canopy

This scene from The Croods is amazing!
I finally watched this movie, and I was impressed with the story line. But this scene is probably my favorite.
The Croods have always lived in the dark, and they finally venture out into the world. This is the first time that they have ever seen stars. And this scene captures the wonder and awe they experience.

Listen

The heart is a very

mysterious thing.

Full of wonder,

it flies on wing

of hopes and dreams

laughter and smiles. 

It can travel the world

and go for miles

reaching out to those that it can. 

It has a strange and magical plan. 

For happiness to appear and 

the soul to sing

a song to hear

changing every year. 

From every step 

of every dance

in every moment

of every chance

It is a whisper

that guides your feet

with a strong and steady beat.  

When will I learn?

To let things go
To live in the moment
To believe in myself
To stop worrying
To laugh instead of cry
To live instead of die
To act before I think
To carry everything but the kitchen sink
To appreciate all I have
To heal my wounds like a salve
To pursue my deepest dreams
To smile instead of scream

Each wistful moment
Each precious hour
Can be sweet
instead of sour.
Is it a switch inside my mind
set to cruel or set to kind?
What is this pattern?
Is it healthy?
Must I crave
to be so wealthy?
Material things
are never enough.
No matter how hard
I try to act tough.

So who am I really?
Am I kind?
Am I sane
or going out of my mind?
So many questions
and so little time
to think instead of act,
and not make up my mind.
It may be a story
no one wants to hear.
With each passing pain
and each newborn fear.

Sometimes it's silly,
the things that I hide.
I bottle up anger
and keep sadness inside.
I'm probably just like everyone else.
Focusing on others
and ignoring myself.
I forget the wonder
and I don't enjoy the ride.
I watch from a window
made by my pride.

But sometimes in writing
That all goes away.
I remember the good times
and live for today.
I focus on moments
of beauty and life.
I ignore all the bad times
and laugh off the strife.
Where I belong
only God will know.
But I won't belong anywhere
if I choose not to grow.