Writing To Limitations; or, The Joy Of Boxes

“Think outside the box.” We hear this advice all the time in so many scenarios. What it’s really saying is, “You know the standard expectation/solution? Go beyond that.”

But what happens when you take the box away?

A select few people do well without that box. They flourish and grow as they realize that anything is possible, reaching further and further outside the box of societal and cultural norms.

One of the most terrifying parts of being a writer is facing the blank page. Starting, the possibilities are overwhelmingly endless. It’s one reason so many people just don’t start. They run away and do something simpler, more structured.

I’ve been there and done that. We all have, at some point.

And really, my best stories seem to come when I have a box. My theory? Limitations – a box – provide a basic framework, a kind of scaffolding to build on. It provides a foundation from which to break tropes, to take more inventive and unexpected directions, and perhaps an opportunity to tell a story beyond what I thought myself capable of.

And, really, as we craft our stories, we’re building our boxes. We’re just less conscious of restrictions we place on ourselves than those from another source. Like a prompt in class or a book on writing.

Who else is with me on this? I’m curious to see who else may have noticed this. And please share your favorite prompts in the comments!

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