More Risk=More Meaning=More Fun
Photo by Cristofer Maximilian on Unsplash
Well, I seem to have gone an entire month without a blog post! Not on purpose. I’ve been involved in a fun project, writing the true story of three orphaned mountain lion cubs who were miraculously saved by the joint efforts of residents of a local community and wildlife biologists and rangers.
I rarely write nonfiction (other than this blog) so it’s been a real challenge for me. I find it hard to stay within the lines of truth when writing. I always want to jazz it up, follow my fictional instincts to create more tension or develop a character arc. It’s also a challenge to infuse the story with emotion, without straying into sentimentality.
But if was easy, it wouldn’t be as much fun. When I impulsively agreed to help, I really had no idea how it would work out, but I've loved being part of it, and doing something beyond the usual has juiced up my other writing as well.
Recently James Clear had a quote in his weekly email on the importance of taking risks in your work:
"If you know something's going to work, it's not worth working on. It requires no courage. It requires no faith. It requires no skin in the game. Whether you're a spy or a teacher or a spouse or a painter or an abuela or an astronaut or a monk or a barista or a board-game designer, the bits that matter are the bits you make matter by putting yourself on the line for them. The unknown is the foundry where you forge your chips. Everything important is uncertain. Sitting with the discomfort of that uncertainty is the hard part, the wedge that can move the world." (Eliot Peper - Source: Foundry )
Of course, all of the above also applies to writers. Some writers do prefer to write from a fairly structured outline. But there is an old quote, attributed to Robert Frost: “No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader." If you map out every inch of story, it can become dull and predictable for both writer and reader.
Risks emerge from trusting the process. Every time we sit down to write, we’re taking a risk. What we write that day may not work the way we hoped. Or the writing itself may feel like hauling boulders uphill. A scene may not come together no matter how we try.
Or... we might stumble upon the perfect twist. A character who seemed secondary may take on a new importance. We may figure out that satisfying ending that has eluded us for weeks.
It’s this uncertainty that can make it hard to keep sitting down, day after day. When there are no certainties, it’s difficult to keep up momentum. Some writers use simple tricks like writing the first sentence of the next paragraph before quitting for the day. Others use a flexible outline structure so they feel like they can at least see the road a little way ahead.
There are many ways to take risks in your writing, aside from the creative process itself.
Try new genres, or mashups of genres and tropes – this is one of the most fun ways to take risks. Especially if your writing is feeling stuck and stale, changing it all up can provide fresh energy and ideas.
Try new story structures – once you understand how story structure works, you can play with it to achieve different effects. Nonlinear narratives, epistolary novels, multiple narrators... Of course, you want to do it for a purpose, thinking about how the structure serves the story you are telling.
Break the writing “rules” - there are so many “rules” in writing, like “show, don’t tell.” But there are times when it’s good to break the rules. Knowing when and how to do so for the right effect involves a lot of practice and experimentation.
Continually check in with your Why – you want to stay connected with both your Whys: Why you write at all, and Why this story in particular. Why is it important to you?
When in doubt, don’t go for the first thing that leaps into your mind – when it comes to creative ideas, your first thought is usually your most clichéd thought. Being willing to keep going, pushing past the same old mental groove, leads to new risks.
Play and experiment - related to that, is the idea of staying open to the idea of playing and experimenting with your writing. Try some fun writing exercises, or use story dice as prompts. Write in a different genre. Make up your own language. We can get deadly serious when it comes to our writing. Keeping that sense of play and fun alive is a way to open ourselves up to taking risks, which keeps us invested in not just the story but the act of creating.
Most importantly - write the thing that scares you. The idea you fear you won’t do justice. The thing you really want to say, that you know is important. The piece of your heart you want to share with the world.
They say there are three “zones” we live in:
Our Comfort Zone – where we know what to expect, we feel competent and confident, but maybe a little bored.
Our Stretch Zone – where we reach beyond our comfortable everyday reality and try something new.
Our Discomfort Zone – where we maybe stretch too far, and can’t stay too long.
Risks are best taken in the Stretch Zone. This is where, when we hear or think of an idea, we get a little buzz of excitement, and maybe a thrill of fear. We push ourselves past our usual comforts, and trust that we’ll build the bridge as we cross it. We don’t stop to think of all the reasons we can’t do it – we leap, and the net appears. This is where we feel most alive. This is where we find meaning in our work.
This, in short, is what makes it fun.
So today, think about where you are taking risks in your writing. Are you experimenting with new ideas, themes, and forms? Or do you feel dull, stuck, treading over the same material again? Is there excitement? A sense of purpose? Where do you feel like you’re taking a risk? Where do you feel you’re playing it safe? What creative risk would you like to take next?
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