Remember when we were kids and it was really easy to pretend being someone else? Maybe a character from a movie, a book, or someone completely made up? Whatever part of the brain that comes from must shrink as we become adults. Or...do we just forget its there? I, for one, do not want to lose that precious tool of imagination - or at least not entirely. Granted, I don't go running around the yard whooping and hollering like a cowboy or Indian. But being able to pretend and immerse myself into a character can be a great help when writing fiction.
One way to have fun with fiction is to make up a character out of the blue and simply write from that character's perspective for a while. For example, I just created a Facebook page as a dancing flower... No, seriously! Check it out. I am now officially Violet Sneedsun. Granted, she's a plastic solar-powered flower that dances in the light, was bought at a dollar store and remains seated on my desk at work... or does she? On one hand, it's just a cheap plastic flower. On the other hand, it's an enormous treasure trove of creative juices.
Think it's dumb? Besides the fun and games and making people smile, here are some very legit writing exercises happening:
- I had to develop a background, family and even interests. If I can do that with a dancing flower, surely I can apply the same efforts to creating a fictional human character in my serious writing.
- I had to create a world in which Violet lives and thrives. She loves to travel. I haven't posted much on the Facebook page yet because I just started it, but eventually, readers will follow her all over the world, and even see pictures. Talk about stretching the creative mind. What better way to exercise that creativity?
- I am asking Facebook friends to "like" the page. Violet isn't a secret anymore. It's whacky, it's silly, and it's just a bit weird. Sometimes, as a writer, I like to hide away and lot let others see what I've come up with because I'm afraid someone will make fun. Coming up with Violet Sneedsun is a safe way to stretch my imagination when it's supposed to be silly. It's a safe way to practice letting other people into a corner of my writing world.
- I am giving my brain some fun. No matter what other daunting task I'm looking at, Violet Sneedsun gives me the opportunity to sit back and just play for a few minutes. With a plastic flower, I can let my imagination do whatever it wants, therefore relaxing my mind, getting me away from a serious task for a few minutes, and giving me some spontaneous fun.
- I had to think outside the box. Often, thinking outside of the norm does not come naturally. We are a race of habit-makers, and most of us have trouble thinking beyond what's "normal" or "acceptable." When writing fiction, though, thinking outside the box may be key to grabbing a reader's attention. But because this line of thinking does not come naturally, practicing it is a very good exercise.
When writing fiction, there are so many activities to help build a strong base for characters and plot lines. Some may seem silly on the surface, or may not even seem like they would help in writing a book at all. But who ever thought giving life to a dancing flower would be an actual exercise either? I've just proven that something as zany as that, can actually provide a large benefit to fiction writing.
I've written and published several novels, but every day I'm still learning, growing and improving in my writing. Writing exercises should never stop, for beginners or seasoned writers alike. And every once in a while, there's call for some zany idea just to have fun.