Fiction, Rabbits, and an Ugly Rug

An Excerpt of Life & the Writer’s Mind

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My Dear Lovelians,

In case you were not aware, I love words, and not just letter-writing either. I have been piecing together my own work of fiction for a while now, and I can honestly say the plot has gone pretty much nowhere over the past five months. Disappointing to say the least. It’s honestly quite possible I killed it by stuffing my imagination into a boxed process and rigid schedule. I mean, putting ideas into cohesive thought is sort of like walking a puppy. While the excited little critter needs a leash to keep her relatively on track and not chasing after every squirrel, car, and shadow, it’s fun and, for argument’s sake, necessary to let her explore her surroundings. I actually think my brain animal is more like a rabbit, but I digress. Welcome friends to the writer’s mind!

So…yeah, that’s probably what did it. R.I.P. story! If Papa decides to resurrect you later, so be it. In the meantime, I’ve come to the conclusion that while story-writing does need order, this doesn’t necessarily look like time constraints and boxes. The brain doesn’t work like this anyway. Heck, life doesn’t work like this, not a fulfilled one anyway. A little spontaneity and creativity are good for the soul. Order gives thoughts a gentle push in a certain direction, assesses rabbit trails instead of disregarding them completely, and provides unrestricted time because, sometimes, the thoughts just come. This be why I carry a notebook with me everywhere. If I am not in a place I can sit and explore an idea, I jot it down for later.

A few short stories I’ve written in the past were completed from start to finish in about three days. One I wrote with the end in mind; the other developed over time as I put pen to paper. The commonality: both these stories wove themselves together in their own way, and I let them, sort of like piecing together a puzzle. Sometimes, the border comes first, and other times the bright blotches of color are so distracting I have to start there. Sorry Mom. Avert your eyes!

This is Thudley, our new member of the family...for the next week or so

So, I took a break. January is my month to mentally relax and stop pressing my brain for a story that won’t come. I began filling it with crafts and other people’s stories instead. Two works of fiction I read recently left an impression, and they are The Princess Academy and its sequel Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale. Now, both these books are small easy-reads for a younger audience, but my brain gobbled up the characters and plots like a starved animal at a rate of one book per day. Who knew these simple works of fiction were just what I needed to revitalize my imagination and rekindle my love for learning? Side Note: If you have a student or child who complains about school, finds no purpose in it, and struggles to stay motivated to learn, have them read these books. Trust me.

Break over as of three days ago. My heart itched to put creative thoughts to paper so badly I couldn’t think about doing anything else, but I didn’t know what to write, so I wrote this poem about what I like to read and what captivates my imagination (keep it pure, people, no darkness here):

I believe in Magic

I believe in Angels

I believe in beauty in unaesthetic places

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I believe in Romance

The kind that never lets go

I believe in Friendship

Where the other sees the soul

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I believe in Dragons

Both the evil and the good

I believe in Life lived as it should

I have absolutely no background in poetry to compare this to, whether or not it’s considered “good,” so PLEASE DON’T TELL ME. That would defeat the purpose. This piece solidified in my mind the types of stories I would most likely be passionate about writing. I have no doubt this list contains some serious holes to be filled over time, but this was a good starting point.

Ugly rug in progress

From here, I developed an idea that has me bubbling over with excitement. I won’t say anything about it yet other than it has to do with magic, the beautiful kind that helps you see people a little clearer and the world a little brighter… *zips lips*

I used to attend a coffee shop to brainstorm, but I now know I am more productive in this while working creatively with my hands and keeping a notebook and pen within arm’s reach. Nothing wrong with coffee shops of course. I still love to experience the hustle and bustle while watching cars pass and listening to the rain fall. I just cannot force my brain to come up with brilliant ideas every other day during the 10am-1pm time slot.

Ugly rug finished...yeah, not my finest work

This level of rigidity doesn’t work, so I make art instead, such as this beautiful ugly rug…that’s an oxymoron isn’t it. In my defense, it is what I had, though I have no idea what possessed me to buy these yarn styles or colors…and I’m not really helping my case. It’s squishy, so for now I think it will fulfill its purpose quite nicely. And I brainstormed quite extensively and effectively every loop of the way. This is what the mind of a writer calls success!

Sincerely,

Olivia

P.S. I have also discovered these ambience channels on YouTube that make for excellent imagination inspiration. My favorite channel so far is Dream Sounds, specifically the moving drone nature scenes (e.g. Beautiful Sleep Music: Relaxing Piano, Fall Asleep Fast, Stress Relief, Deep Sleeping Music - YouTube) Ah! This earth is so lovely.