Over the past two weeks, I have had the chance to work with a number of young writers in LA and the Bay Area, and I’m inspired!
Here’s what’s excites me most about my recent encounters with young writers. They’re tapping into their original, unique voices. Young writers don’t follow the “rules.” Without years of publishing experience and without grad school, these creative spirits often come up with ideas that leap courageously into areas most adult writers would tiptoe past. A talking potato who saves the world? Absolutely. A squirrel who adores seaweed? Yep.
Hearing their voices reminds me that it’s okay to dare. It’s okay to try something, even if you’re not sure it will work. It’s okay to put our crazy, creative self on the page. I’m working on the messy middle of my current novel, and each wrangling each word out of my head feels like a battle. In fact, I’ve been so busy wrangling words out of my mind that I’ve neglected to post on this blog for far too long. But tonight, I’m commiting to loosen up a bit. Here’s to a some fresh playfulness. Maybe I’ll even post a silly little story of my own, see if I can free up my own voice. And as for the novel? Well, I’m reminded to play there, too. Why not just throw myself into the scenes and have fun, let them come out messy so that they can also find their own original selves? I’ll try it, and let you know how it goes.
