Did you know that your enjoyment of hobbies can also benefit your writing? Nicole Bianchi has compiled a list: “15 Famous Writers’ Fascinating and Unusual Hobbies” where she wrote, “Hobbies not only gave them new experiences to write about but also helped them develop skills that made them better writers.” You can see her blog post here.
My hobbies include taking jazz voice lessons and participating in jazz recitals and a summer jazz camp. I think that the challenge of finding the right rhythm for my lyrics, pushing and pulling against the accompaniment, helps me be aware of the rhythms of the words and sentences I type on the page. I also knit and crochet (well-documented stress busters: check “Experts Say Knitting and Crocheting Can Have a Surprising Impact on Your Health” by Laura Casely.) Both of my hobbies are good for my writing.
Think of how many entertainers who are/were also painters: Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, James Franco, Ronnie Wood. Finding artistic expression in one medium did not detract from their ability to find expression in another. Both require fine-tuning the ability to focus—that can’t be a bad thing. Think of how your hobbies are actually supporting your writing. And if you don’t have a hobby, maybe now’s the time to think about pursuing one.
To keep you writing for the next little while, here are your writing prompts for June.
- Use one, some, or all of the words in one of the following groups to write a story or poem.
- Wind, flag, fence, twist, green, curious, over
- Bowl, dandelion, hose, step, yellow, fall
- Drop, chair, crack, glass, blue, shaken, shy
- Rain, puddle, reflection, friend, loss, grey
2. Here are some opening sentences for you to try.
- Are you sure I’ll never have to do this again?
- Henry put the knife down. OR Henry, put the knife down.
- I was glad that he was leaving.
- How could we keep going without Helen?
- The cabin was deserted when we arrived.
- Nothing frightened Henry, except ____________.
- The soldiers tramped through the village.
- I hate thunderstorms.
- A swirling cloud of starlings swarmed the abandoned building
- Fire!
- Don’t tell me to keep calm!
3. Perhaps, you can imagine a story with one of these titles: The Clubhouse Thief, Things Go Wrong Again, The End of the Road, Cold Cash, Traveling with My Family, Flames at Midnight, Downhill from Here, The Exception to the Rule, One of Many, The Diary, The Haunted Painting.
4. Write a scene or story around one of these dialogue excerpts.
- I don’t believe it!
- Are you calling me a liar?
- I’m just surprised that he would say that.
- We should turn back.
- We can’t. We’ll be caught.
- Do you have to keep talking?
- Sorry, I’m nervous, I guess.
- You should be, but just be quiet about it.
- They’ll notice that we’re gone.
- Not for a long time.
- Are you sure?
- I’ve made sure.
- I need you to promise.
- Why? Don’t you trust me?
5. Think about your characters. What hobbies might they have? Do they have knowledge gained from their hobbies that might help them solve a crime or save a life or make a connection with a difficult character or open a conversation at a job interview (I can speak from experience about the last one. Being a golf fan helped get me a job as an administrative assistant, once.)
Have a wonderful, writerly month?