Perched on a Limb
I got some great feedback over the weekend about my vlog experiment...everything from "stop closing your eyes so much" to "that was hilarious". Huh. I had no idea my eyelids have a mind of their own and makes me wonder what would happen if I tried to be funny.
At any rate, I know it was (and will be) a risk to vlog. Risk is something writers take every day. If you don't, your writing will be as fresh as the half-eaten bag of Cheetoes sitting atop my frig.
Blogger/author Seth Godin says that artists do their work out on a limb..."not in the safe places, but out there, in a place where they might fail, where it might end badly, where connections might be lost, sensibilities might be offended, jokes might not be gotten."
Staying in the safety zone is comfortable. There's no pain involved. But neither is there growth.
Here's my challenge to you: whatever piece you're working on today, do something different just for the heck of it. Examples...
- Throw in a crazy metaphor
- Give a character a you've-got-to-be-kidding-me attribute
- Sneak in a stunning bit of sarcasm in the dialogue
- Add a quirky quote from a long dead author
- Confront one of your own fears via a scene with your hero
- Try some alliteration
Yeah, dismal failure is a distinct possibility. But on the other hand, maybe not, and it just might nudge your brain in a different direction that really brings a new kind of freshness to your writing.
My risk for the day? I've added a picture to my blog post and will continue to do so until a mob with pitchforks suggests I do otherwise...and/or I can't find any good pix.