Nov 18 2008
Novel Ideas: Inspiration in the Little Things
I had to go grocery shopping this afternoon.
Initially, I was put off by this mundane task interrupting my writing. However, when I got there, things took an interesting turn.
There I was, pushing around my mundane cart, looking at mundane loaves of bread, sorting through mundane trays of pork chops, when I overheard Christmas music playing in the background.
For those of you who don’t know me, I currently live in a warm climate, but my heart is inextricably linked to the icy North where I grew up. And Christmas music holds very certain connotations for me: SNOW. And snow means cold. And cold means misery.
I had no control over what happened next—it simply happened.
Upon recognizing the first notes of “Jingle Bells,” I instantly felt as if I’d entered the body of my main character. I had become my protagonist, pushing around her sorry little grocery cart, completely appalled that there was Christmas music playing in mid-November. And in that moment, she became real to me.
Perhaps this all makes absolutely no sense to you, because you don’t know what my story is about. It’s not a Christmas story, by the way, so no points for guessing.
My point is, take advantage of being out in everyday life. The most mundane chore can seem like a lightening bolt of creativity if you put yourself inside your characters’ minds.
Sometimes I play a mind game when I have the luxury of time to take a walk. I connect. I look closely at little things I take for granted and no longer notice. A twisted trunk on a tree, a leaf, a sunset, clouds, children playing by the water’s edge - all that I no longer see. I sense the wonder I felt as a child and I’m in awe of the beauty around me. Memories long forgotten; unconsciously buried are somehow triggered and connections made to events long passed, fill me with joy and sometimes sadness. Probably you won’t understand this? Try it sometime. Look around you, see, and open your unconscious mind to connect in whatever way it will. I promise you a rich experience.
I loved this post. I often find myself living moments through my characters and these periods seem to bring out the best in my writing. They say you have to walk a mile in another man’s shoes, or something like that, and it’s true.
Also, another thing that you can do during a mundane trip to the store is to check out the other shoppers. Sometimes you’ll find the perfect new character hidden amongst the customers.
Enjoyed checking out your blog.
Trio:
That’s exactly what I was talking about when I wrote about walking as a method of gathering inspiration. I agree that there’s probably no better method.
Dramaquill:
It’s quite amazing how many people you see that have exaggerated characteristics.
Thanks for commenting. I know what you mean–people watching is so fun