What a week to start a new book. I’ve had only one uninterrupted day so far, and no writing will occur on this day or night either. Don’t misunderstand; I’m not complaining. I’m still accessing my creativity. Two days this week I worked on a major craft project. Emily wanted us to make a doll. Great! Then she saw a stuffed filing cabinet in a book and wanted to make that. Darn.
Of course, she doesn’t use the sewing machine, so the actual work fell to me. Her role was head designer. The “doll” she chose was not in a craft book, meaning there was no pattern or directions, so I had to create my own.
In typical Emily fashion, she wanted a modification. She wanted the file drawer to slide in an out, with removable file folders. Barely had I mused aloud how we could manage that on essentially a stuffed rectangle, when she came up with a solution. She’s a natural problem solver.
The original cabinet was tan and gray … a boy. Not too exciting. Then we went shopping for the materials, and I found out Emily was thinking bright pink and lime green. Cool! I decided, since our file cabinet was a girl, she should have eyelashes and hot pink lips—instead of heavy eyebrows and huge teeth like the boy version.
A tiara was Emily’s final touch. Mine was a second-degree burned index finger (glue gun accident). But surely, I also gained some new brain cells with all that that designing and engineering.
Cute, you’re thinking, but this is a writing blog. So does this have anything to do with writing? Of course it does. Writing takes this same kind of imagination. Good writers use their crafting skills to take a tan and gray idea and transform it into pink and lime … with a tiara!
How are you using your literary craft supplies today?
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Linda Cassidy Lewis 
Aw, that is so cute! I can remember doing things like that with my father as a child, though I don’t think he ever got burnt the way you did (ouch, by the way. Sounds very painful!). The memories are worth it.
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Thanks, Chibi. Sounds like you have some great memories, and that’s a real treasure! 🙂
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And the talents keep adding up! Is there anything you can’t do? 😉
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Honestly? Yeah, I could name quite a few things I can’t do … but I won’t because they’ll overwhelm the ones I can. 😉
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You inspired me! I finally made my own “book of wisdom” sayings that I have been thinking I would make for a long time. Today I did it. Needs some decorating, but I am pleased that I got a good start. Thanks!
Mary Jean
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That’s great, Mary Jean! It’s nice to know I’ve inspired something good and a book of wisdom sounds good indeed. 🙂
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Plotting along in your head IS a part of the writing process. Just because no ACTUAL words are being put to paper or computer, doesn’t mean that your brain has turned off, your processing. I find myself thinking about my characters at the oddest times, especially when I’m working on projects that don’t need my entire focus.
Cute craft! Isn’t it nice to use your creativity in tangible ways? Have a great weekend!
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Oh, I agree, Juli. I usually experience most of the book in my head before I write anything. Sometimes I write notes, bits of dialogue as I get them. That’s my style of “outlining”. I don’t think my brain is ever really not writing. As I was eating lunch yesterday, I listened to the people at the next table tell another couple how they discovered their house was on fire and I processed it thinking, I can use that in a story someday. 😉
Thank you, and I hope you’re having a nice weekend too.
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