Input is Important, Too

I think a lot of writers have gotten or seen criticism, directed at them specifically or not, about 'why aren't you writing?' in the context of having an opinion on something that, in others' minds, they shouldn't have time to enjoy because they should be chained to their computers all day.

The fact is you have to take in new things if you want to put out new things. You can't just build all of your books, your career on whatever influenced you up to the moment you published your first book. That's not how creativity works. Creativity is the swirling amalgam of your influences and experience filtered through your means of expression and talent, not some mana you pull out of the ether fully formed, independent of everything. It's not made in a vacuum. And it's ongoing; it never stops.

Why bring this up? Because I forgot.

A while ago, I had gotten to a point where I didn't want to see or read new things. I just wanted to swirl around in the things that made me write the way I do, in a hope of recapturing some perceived magic that had gone missing. It didn't work. It didn't fire my imagination at all, and the swirling I did was more of the toilet variety than fine wine.

Enter The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Since I started this show (two episodes left!), I feel way more creative and motivated than I have in some time. Yes, my writer brain has quibbles with parts of it. but the sheer creativity on display in every frame is astounding. The performances are brilliant, both from the voice actors and the puppeteers; the design work, the magic. It's wonderful, and I am demolishing my word count every day now because I took the time to feed my imagination. To give it what it was actually missing: inspiration. Fodder, grist, choose your metaphor as you will.

No, it's not a book, but sparks come from every direction. I have outlines already for books that were inspired by podcasts FFS, and another from a song. I'm not snooty about it, I'll take what I can get.

You can't run on fumes forever. At some point you have to fill the tank again, and you shouldn't feel guilty about it. It's part of the cycle.

But remember, you have to have good writing habits, too. It's both, not either, if you want to actually finish things. Finding the balance is hard, and using input as an excuse not to output is no good. Input so you can output, not instead of.

It's getting colder and the days shorter.* You have to stoke the fire if you want to stay warm, right?


*Southern Hemisphere readers, please return in six months for appropriate metaphor applicability. May also be interpreted to represent mortality, depending on your outlook for the day, regardless of location.