TLC Editor Stefan Mohamed reminds us how important it is to experiment with your writing and have fun.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that if two or more writers get together socially, they will spend most of the time complaining.
For all the undeniable satisfaction that the professional writing life can bring, it can also be deeply frustrating to navigate. It’s by no means unique in that respect, of course, but the disconnect between the creative side and the business side can be stark. Whether it’s the constant cycle of seeking work or funding in an uncertain and competitive landscape, the complexities and quirks of the publishing industry, or simply waiting six months for an email that could determine how your next few years are going to look, it’s all too easy to become demoralised.
These challenges, and the simple calculus of what’s actually paying the bills, means that the creative part of writing — i.e. the fun part, the meaningful part, the reason so many of us have only ever dreamed of doing this — can fall by the wayside.
Which is why it’s so important to make space within your practice to play and experiment.
Here are my top tips on how to experiment with your writing.
Finding the fun
By ‘play’, I simply mean writing that is purely creative and exploratory, with no particular end goal in mind. You could call it writing for the sake of writing, though that obfuscates how useful it is for developing your craft, discovering new creative avenues, and avoiding getting stuck in particular patterns and ruts.
It’s not as easy as it sounds, admittedly. If you are a full-time freelancer, or if writing and writing-related work makes up even a percentage of your income, it’s very difficult to escape the mindset that time is money, and hours spent having fun with your writing are hours that you could have spent working on something that might eventually pay off, or chasing new opportunities. And of course there are many variables that make each writer’s situation unique, whether that’s financial instability, caring responsibilities, physical or mental illness, and so on.
Just as the common refrain ‘writers must write every day’ simply does not work for everybody, ‘make time for play’ may not seem feasible within your schedule.
That being said, there are different approaches you can try.
Stretching your muscles
If you are able to set aside an hour or two on a regular basis to mess around, that’s fantastic. Alternatively, if you can only manage a few minutes here and there, that’s better than nothing! If you have a fairly structured working week / month, see if there is a natural time to slot in a brief session of experimentation — or maybe reward yourself with some play time after meeting a deadline.
Then use that time to try out an idea that doesn’t necessarily fit anywhere obvious. Something that’s out of your comfort zone. If tactile, realist short stories are your go-to, try a story or scene that’s weird and ambiguous. Alternatively, if weird is your happy place, try something grittier, more tethered to reality — experiment with description, atmosphere, an unfamiliar character in a situation you’ve not explored before.
Adopting or discarding formal constraints can also be a good way of inspiring new work, or just testing out muscles you rarely use. Do you tend to write poetry using traditional forms? Try something free associative with an unorthodox structure. Or if you’ve not really attempted poetry before, maybe it’s time to dip your toe in! There are no expectations here, no metrics, just exploration.
The sky is the limit
You don’t have to be prescriptive. Experiment with colour, texture, putting aside narrative or structural concerns. Look around the room, go for a walk, or scan a random Wikipedia page until you see an image or phrase that sparks something interesting. An exercise like automatic writing, where you sit and write consistently, without thinking, for five, ten or fifteen minutes, can be a great way to bypass the critical part of your brain and tap into something deeper, more subconscious.
It needn’t be a solitary pursuit either. Do you have another writer, or a circle of writers, with whom you regularly swap feedback? Agree on a prompt between you, set a deadline, go away and write something. If you’re lucky enough to have other writers who you trust, and who know your general style and approach, surprising them with something unexpected — even if you’re not sure the piece fully works — can spark a fascinating and enriching conversation.
Above all, remember that a creative practice needs to be stimulating. It can’t all be magical, sadly, but we owe it to ourselves to maintain some magic, and to nurture it, or else risk stasis and dissatisfaction.
Easier said than done, of course!
But it can be done.
If you have felt inspired to experiment with your writing, I’m wishing you luck. And lots of fun, too.
Stefan Mohamed is an author and Editor for TLC. You can book him for one of our Editorial Services now.
