I love spending time with children. They speak with the language they know, without the clichés and idioms common to us grownups. They have a fresh way of seeing, which makes their descriptions captivating and unique.
I once asked my four-year-old grandson what his best friend looked like. He has a long head, was his one and only descriptive reply. At once I imagined a faceless character with a long narrow head that kept him so off-balance he couldn't stop toppling over.
I find that when I've spent time with children, my mind percolates with ideas and dialogue for children's stories. Their way of thinking and speaking informs my child-character's point of view. I'm best at writing for children when I can draw from the bucket of child-interactions I've had.
When I write for my blog, I often describe things in nature, which requires time spent outdoors, taking in the colours, smells, and sounds of my surroundings. My goal for the blog is to make it a sanctuary for the weary; a place of gentle encouragement; a small restoration of beauty and joy that they can take with them when they head back out into the world. In order to be true to that intention then, I listen to restoring and calming music, read beautiful words, take time to reflect on the beauty of God and His gift of beauty to us.
It's important to feed the bucket from which I draw so that the writing is fresh and authentic.
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I heard an author of historical fiction once say that she spends the weeks and months it takes to write her book listening to the music from that era. While she is doing the non-writing things--cooking, cleaning house, out and about in her car--she immerses herself in the music of the period in which she is writing. That's how she finds fresh feed for her writing bucket.
Dear fellow writer, I realize that you probably already fill your writing bucket with the fresh feed you need for your work-in-progress. But if not, this is your gentle reminder.
As writers we're always looking for ways to keep our writing fresh, aren't we? Now it's your turn. What do you do to feed your writing bucket?
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Photo credits:
Child holding bucket - congerdesign from Pixabay
Apples - Jill Wellington from Pixabay
Tulips - Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay
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