Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Wisdom on Wednesdays: Branching Out

I watched a fabulous film last night that gave me the idea for this post.

I know what you're thinking. We're deep into NaNo and PiBo. I have a bunch of projects on the go, on top of those commitments. And I spent two hours watching a movie?

DUMB, I hear you say! But I say, smart. Because this movie was so clever, and the dialogue was so perfect, that it has informed my writing.

So, that's my wisdom. Branch out into something other than writing for a while: watch a (really good and well-written) movie, try a new recipe, surf YouTube and Jango to find songs by artists you've never heard of. Do something new; make your brain think in a new direction. I bet it will make you a better writer.

And if you write for kids, in any age group, get your hands on "Mary and Max" and watch it. Preferably not with your kids in the room, but definitely with your writing in mind.

What new thing have you tried lately?

5 comments:

  1. So true! Thanks for the reminder. I am one of those people that slowly shuts down until something new sparks me to life again. I'm like a wind-up writing monkey.

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  2. I'm too immersed in NaNo to try anything new :\ Maybe I need to step away for a brief time...lol.

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  3. Great advice! Sometimes a good book or movie or other thing can jar the ideas loose and get the words flowing. :)

    It's not really helping my NaNo since instead of writing, I'm watching it, but I've been watching True Blood. That's my new show. I have too many already!

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  4. You have to do what works for you - but sometimes, especially when I'm feeling burned out, doing something new is just enough to get those juices flowing again and remind me what I love about writing.

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  5. Ooh I'm now curious about Mary & Max. I only know Max & Ruby :)
    You are so right. I am just trying to ply myself away from the p.c in the evenings and sit upstairs where the ambiance is more serene with a book and/or my writing. That's step one, step two is watch some comedies on the tv. Wish me luck.

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