I have to admit it: I’m tired today. And incapable of putting together a real post. So instead, I’m just going to tell you about how, a couple of days ago, I wrote a totally crappy story about a little brown rabbit who was really sad because his best friend, Mr. Fox, gave him a set of rabbit’s feet for his birthday. (“They’re for good luck!” he said.)
It was horribly written. And only about a paragraph long. I wrote it simply because I wanted to write a story that started with “Once upon a time there was a rabbit…” and that was kind of a little bit effed up. Because that’s totally not how I write.
It was refreshing.
Last week, I told you how I’ve been reading Finding Your Writer’s Voice by Thaisa Frank and Dorothy Wall. (You should pick it up, by the way. It’s quite good.) In the book, the authors say, “One of the most startling things about your inner voice may be its diversity. It’s not one voice, but many.” They offer a lot of exercises that help you try out different voices, until you’re throwing your voice around like a ventriloquist. (I’m saving that one for when we get home and I can do it in privacy, lest everyone I’m visiting here think I’ve surely gone round the twist.)
I wrote that story because sometimes it helps to write not like you to get out of the confines of your own head. It’s one more way to wipe the slate clean, or to open a fresh page.
So today, I’ll say, “Try that.” Try writing something you’d never normally write. Even if it’s just a paragraph, or a sentence.
Happy Friday, everyone!
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