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Word Versus the Machine
One of the first things my creative writing instructor – Craig Lesley – taught me in college was that a writer should not have enough time to watch television.
At the time, I did not know why he needed to mention something like that. After all, my life schedule was writing, work, church, and editing. I didn’t even have time for social events (other than church). I got up early so I could do writing before work. Then, after work, I would do my homework and more writing. Even if there was a show or a movie that my sister (my roommate at the time) wanted me to watch with her, I took my laptop out to the living room and worked on my writing as we ‘watched’.
o.O
O innocence of youth!
It has been QUITE a few years since that class, and I have since experienced an epiphany about what Craig Lesley meant when uttering that statement. Actually, it should be classified as a warning.
There are so many compelling shows today dragging our attention from the challenge of designing and weaving our tales of adventure or romance. If you are anything like me, you sometimes capitulate to the ease of watching a show for the sake of ’research’, putting your current project down under the excuse of ‘brainstorming’ or taking a ‘mental break’ so that you can view it with fresh eyes in the morning.
HAH!
Over the last 2 weeks I have weaned myself down to ONE show, Once Upon A Time on ABC. That equates to shifting from about 8-10 hours of television per week to ONE HOUR.
Now, an important caveat to mention is that in addition to writing more, I have begun playing what I will call a medieval genre ‘storyline’ game on my PS3. Essentially, it is like a ‘choose your own adventure’ novel, as you are able to choose responses when interacting with traveling companions and characters you meet throughout the complicated story. These characters are controlled by the PS3′s AI system and react as appropriate to responses and questions you choose. This interaction consequently affects whether or not they approve or disapprove of you.
The effect is quite fascinating. Even more intriguing (at least for me as a writer specializing in communication in relationships) is the resulting amorous relationship my character’s responses have encouraged with a nice man in my party. Seeing the immediate consequences, be they positive or negative, from the options I choose engages my mind in the story and heightens my involvement in general.
Can you get that from watching a television show? Um… no.
The result? I notice my mind is more active! The game has encouraged my involvement by considering consequences, remembering story facts and side quests, deducting best possible options, etc. That heightened activity has directly increased how I interact with my own stories.
I FEEL SMARTER! Yay!
o.O
*ahem*
Once the newness factor [addiction] wears down for the game, I will be able to route even more time to my writing. But for the most part, I am enjoying the… intrigue and the desire to interact with a story that inspires my own view (the game is quite beautiful!) of settings, villains, and heroes. I am reminded of the years when I wrote dozens of fan fiction based on the characters and worlds of video games for the PSOne and PS2 because their story and characters engaged my creative heart. There were tortured souls for me to heal, lonely characters to lead to love, and unspoken histories to reveal.
No, I do not envision myself writing fan fiction again, unless the game would seek to publish stories based on their universe like Star Wars, Star Trek, etc… but the drive and passion for writing has been rejuvenated by these simple changes to my routine, and I like it!
- PS3: $299 (sans the $$ from the Wii system I traded in)
- Game: $19.95
- Inspiration’s return: $PRICELESS
What do you do to give yourself a brain break that helps you get inspired?
Fresh Air | CWBC
This is another ChristianWriters.com Blog-Chain installment. The topic this month is ‘Fresh Air’. To read more blog articles on this topic, please navigate from the link list on the right.
There is something to be said for the steady pace of a life outside of the metropolitan. Life doesn’t sprint past you, leaving you out of breath and wondering what you accomplished. On the east side of the Snoqualmie pass it is up to the hubs and I to make things happen, which opens our minds and imaginations to a long list of adventures standing just outside our doorstep. It becomes our choice to lounge, fish, swim, boat, hike, walk… you get the picture.
In fact, this weekend the hubs and I took up our fishing poles and picnic items and journeyed out for a lunch of bbq burgers and some fishing. The feel of the sun on my face and arms and the soft kiss of the cool breeze off Banks Lake was wonderful, relaxing.
Would I have done the same in Western Wash? Perhaps, to a degree, but more often than not my habit was to get home and try and relax from the hectic journey to and from work. Traffic truly is a muse squasher for me, and it would often take more energy to gird myself up for an evening of editing or writing than I had in reserve.
What I find here in the expanse that is Eastern Wash is a rejuvenating 90-minute one-way commute surrounded by lake after lake, sun-kissed cliff sides, and clear blue skies that are speckled with herons, hawks, magpies and various other birds. How can a person NOT be inspired by that? Well, a person such as I who was raised on a 30-acre homestead. This change of life encompasses not only an alteration to my surroundings, but to my very life’s view.
The Fresh Air of this new ‘way of life’ smacks with the flavor of what being a full-time writer could be, and I must say I am eager for that arrival!
Until that day comes, I will make use of the silent, quality time of my commute to obsess over the outline for my novels, swirling the ideas in my head until my characters and I decide on what the circumstances and outcomes for their destiny happen to be. Perhaps I will even be able to finish the revisions that are dawdling in my head for my contemporary romance and my science fiction YA series?
Time will tell, and the fresh air of the lakes and canyons will be there waiting for me when I venture forth down this new road of creative imaginings.
