Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Writing Inspired by Play

At writer's conferences we're often reminded that butt-in-chair just may be the elusive secret to success, and that's absolutely true.  We also know that after the Nano high wears off and the euphoria of typing The End fades away, there will be months upon months of revisions followed by months upon months of work spent querying, submitting, and/or working to get that manuscript published.  Only to repeat all those months and months over again, with that manuscript, and possibly (probably?) tearfully setting it aside in order to plow into more months of rejections and elbow grease on a new manuscript.  And I really hate to say it, but most of that will not be fun.  Or even fair.


So, can writing be fun?  Is it playful?  Well, obviously not all of it!  Not unless you've got some really crazy definition of fun, and also like paper cuts, blistering sunburns, and seeing small dead animals on the road.

But writing can (and maybe should) owe inspiration to fun, and even in the query woes and at that stage of revision where burning is too good for your book, writing can enjoy the sparkly edge of play.  I'm talking about those moments when you're walking down the street and suddenly your writer sense (which everyone knows is second only to a spidey sense) goes crazy.  You've just seen something preposterous, or maybe tiny and dear, and it's sparked all kind of shiny writing ideas.  Woot for sparklies!

Or maybe you're going about your serious day in your serious life, and someone surprises you.  Or you surprise yourself.  And it's not the bad kind of surprise, like waking up to the sound of your child vomiting all over their bedroom...when you have to catch a plane at 5am and just got to sleep...but rather, it's the good kind of surprise.  Like, when you've been trudging through a dreary day of rain and more rain, and suddenly the sun pulls up a corner of the grey sky and shines out, splashing a rainbow over everything!  Or, you're watching a parade and you see...

a grown man, walking on stilts, pretending that he's floating in an inner tube down a river...in the middle of the street.  Do you see the look on his face?  The way his smile seems to reach every corner of his being?  That's play.  And I think we all need it, but especially creative people.

We need it because without it, the well into which we dip can run dry.  And our oasis shrivels, and we find ourselves trying to build sand castles without any water to make the sand pack, or paint an image of a vibrant, mysterious jungle with nothing but one wilted leaf.

Finding play can be tricky.  Children help. So do animals, and people that smile at us.  But in the end it's about ourselves, our souls, and if we recognize the inspiration and power in play.  If we can step back from the daily grind of butt in chair and elbow grease to appreciate that sunlight bursting in, and the hilarious things a kid will say when woken by vomit at 5am.  Because play is all around us, once we've opened our eyes to see it.

Cherish it, embrace it, and let the laughter come.

Tell, me, what inspires your writing?  What makes you smile?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

10 comments:

  1. LOVE! I totally agree that writing can and should be fun, and there's nothing like a little creative play to get the story going! :)

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    1. So true! And now of course I feel the urge to host some writers play groups...no idea what that would look like, but I'll bet it would be fun! lol

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  2. Great advice! Bluejays have inspired me lately. They are so rowdy and just plain naughty--all the time.

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    1. Thank you! I've always wanted to feature blue jays in a story--they're just so clever, and seem rather like the pirates of the bird world. Maybe there'll be a place for them in a NinChicks sequel, but in the mean time, keep me posted of any developments with them in your books!

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  3. Fun parade pic! I had to stare at it for a bit b/c I didn't see those weren't 'his' legs the first time around, lol! I have an inspiration board that helps me when I get to feeling like writing's too much work. Also, a few days away help for me to get my inspiration wells back to full again.

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  4. I think every person who say the dude walk by did the same double-take! We're all like 'hmm, have I just seen the first four-legged man, or--?' lol

    An inspiration board is a fabulous tool! I used to have one, and I think you've just nudged me into creating one again. I'm thinking somewhere off my computer, so my eyes can wander to it when I'm nudging my brain into action. :)

    Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

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  5. I LOVE THIS. Awesome. You know, my writing started interconnected with my playing. My serious writing that is. I was creating stories from the happy age of 3, so all those years acting out scenarios with my equally creative friends? Yeah, many of those sessions found themselves on a page. I find my creative juices flow best when I'm actually telling my stories to my hubby, and then he bounces back what I've said--probably based off those early experiences. Writing is better when it's fun, when it's interactive, and when we don't take ourselves too seriously, eh? Oh, and especially when cheese is involved. =)

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    1. I one hundred percent agree with you! I even operate the same way--when my writing is stuck, I drag my hubby out for a walk and bounce ideas around with him until it comes unstuck. I think being out in nature just makes me inherently happy, so that helps, too.

      The only place where we really differ? It's chocolate. Not cheese. Always chocolate. ;)

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  6. I adored this post, because I've been in a grind where rewriting my draft's been HARD, and it's such a great reminder to lighten up and laugh, and to love what you write no matter what because otherwise where's the joy in it? And writing is supposed to be all about the awesome. Thank you for this, and I have to say you chose the best vids, too :D.

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    1. Choosing the gifs was fun, and therefore just part of the process of writing the post. ;) Glad you enjoyed it, and sending you happy revision sparklies to help you through the rewrites!

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