The Writing Pantry

I am going to tell you a secret about moms. 
All moms.
Lean in. 
Listen carefully. 
You won't want to miss this.
Ready?
We HATE cooking dinner.  Despise it.
Almost as much as teachers HATE homework (yes, that's another secret for another day, kiddos.)

We don't hate cooking dinner so much b/c we hate cooking.  Some of us actually like cooking.  When we have the time.  And the energy.  And the supplies.  And someone is there to clean up after us.  And, yes, the family actually eats and enjoys what we've cooked.  Which is probably one out of one hundred dinners cooked in America.

But I thought this blog was about writing, not cooking!  You are right, Sensei.  Inner editor.  Now go back to the inner monologue where you belong!

The secret about writing is not really a secret at all.  I've written about it before.  We don't like to revise.  We want our stories to come to us ready-to-serve.  Pop it in the microwave for one minute and enjoy... sort of.  Nevermind letting stories simmer.  Or finely chopping those details.  Or leaving the yucky parts in the trash. 

But there is nothing about a story that is fast.  Even though sometimes we need to write fast!  That is why I believe writers need a pantry of ideas, bits of dialogue, observations about the world.  Here are a few ways I stock my writing pantry:

1.  Write down distinct bits of dialogue.  These are never copied (plagiarized) from a television show, movie, or someone else's writing.  They are usually from my children, family members, or the kids at the park.  I'm listening!

2.  Memories.  Sometimes a smell or a song or a piece of clothing even will trigger a memory from my childhood.  If I'm smart, I run to my notebook and write it down quickly before I forget the nostalgia of it.  This is probably my favorite way to stock my writing pantry.

3.  Story starters.  I have literally boxes and boxes of "first pages" of stories I've begun over the years.  If I need a kick-start I pull one of these gems out and fall right into the place I left off 10 years ago.  It's magical. 

4.  Observe.  This is where blogging comes in.  I watch people.  A LOT.  It sounds kind of creepy, but it's not really.  Really!  I'm just taking a mental note of how people interact... body language, dialogue, relationships, humor.  I had a friend one time who used to call me when she was a stay-at-home mom, and she used to say the strangest things to her daughter while I was on the phone.  Like, "Alexis, your cheese is not a hat!"  And "Do not stab your brother with your chicken nugget."  I guess she liked to call me at lunchtime.  Those bits of dialogue became part of my writing pantry, but so did the observation that mommies lose about 25 points of their IQ during their children's mealtime. 

So, moms:  stock that pantry because you know dinnertime is coming.  And writers, you would be wise to do the same. 

Happy writing,
Rachel