Daydream Believer

This just in –

Researchers at the University of California have found that daydreaming actually improves creative problem-solving!

Are you listening Mrs. B.? Remember how you liked to scare the bejeebers out of me in 4^th grade English class every time you caught me building castles in the air on that pie in the sky? Yep, I bet you’re feeling pretty bad about that right now.

And hey, here’s a double bonus, Elbow Benders –

Investigators at the Max Planck Institute of Germany found that daydreamers have better working memories.

Good thing, too. I mean, what’s the use of daydreaming up a bunch of awesome creative solutions if you can’t remember any of them?

You know, this new data helps explain an interesting phenomenon…

Go ask 10 kids under the age of 7 if they are creative and 6 of them will say, “Heck yeah!” Three will give you a “Well, duh!” And 1 will yell, “Stranger danger!”

Back away from that last kid and go ask 10 adults if they’re creative. Nine out of 10 will claim that they are not.

And what do kids under the age of 7 do A LOT of?

Well, besides hide vegetables under their plates.

Yes, daydream.

So, get your creative mojo back on track by kicking back.

What an awesome way to spend a Monday!

 

PROMPT: Have you set your writing/art goals for the week? Be sure to add some daydreaming time, too. Seriously grown-ups, you’re going to have to schedule it – because, sadly, you can no longer count on the bonus of boring (Are you listening Mrs. B.?) class time.

Have a Ball

My daughter does not like sports movies.

Actually, she hates them.

“It’s a plot problem,” she says. “They are ALL the same. You’ve got your ragtag underdog with ‘issues’ up against the Big Dog with all the money and talent – and shock of all shocks (she says making a big ‘O’ with her mouth), the underdog WINS!”

“Yeah,” my son pipes up. “You never see the underdogs go in there and get CRUSHED! You never hear the big dogs in the post-game interview saying, ‘Man we coulda beat ‘em by WAY more than 200 points if it hadn’t been for that dang mercy rule.’”

As for me, I am a sucker every single time. I LOVE sports movies. Just the thought of Hoosiers, Rudy, or Secretariat makes me grin.

Well, our family actually experienced a few sports movie ingredients this week.

You see, our local high school doesn’t have a tennis team. It’s small and rural and doesn’t even have tennis courts. It has a parking lot... and a lot of Trans Ams.

So, what do you do when your son loves tennis, and it’s the only sport he wants to play? Well, you leap hurdles and jump through hoops, provide a ton of transportation, and get special permission for him to play with another school's team as an exhibition (non-scoring) player. At least that’s what we did.

And it was worth it. Throughout the two-month season, my son had a lot of fun doing something he loves to do. End of story. Well, not quite…

Two weeks ago, we were informed that my son is his high school’s #1 player (um…he’s their only player, like, ever), and as such, he would be competing in the district tournament.

WHAT?!

So, this week my son donned his mom-designed uniform (actually, that was wicked-cool) and traveled two hours to the district meet. He had a goal of winning just one game.

As sports movie luck would have it, my freshman son with no coach and no team (but a wicked-cool uniform) was paired with the senior Big Dog who happened to be the #1 player in the district.

And guess what!

The Big Dog CRUSHED him!

The score was 6-0 and 6-0.

So, my son regrouped for match #2.

Well, he didn’t achieve his goal of winning just one game – he won 13! He even won the second set of the three-set match. And it was some grueling dueling – nearly two hours of play before my underdog pup was defeated.

But he came off the court grinning – looking forward to the next three years as his school’s #1 player.

And by the time he’s a senior, I’m putting my money on one thing for sure –

His sister is going to be really ticked off when the film crew shows up.

 

PROMPT: Get your game on! Write a sports story today – go all made-for-TV movie or skip the formula and throw ‘em a curve by thinking outside of the boxing match. You’re sure to have a winner!

 

Go team!

Got Music?

This just in –

Dogs do not like Anthrax and Iron Maiden. They think these bands stink, paws down.

A recent study by a Colorado State University professor investigated how shelter dogs responded to various styles of music. Clearly canines are not head bangers – heavy metal music actually produced nervous shaking in the pups. However, classical tunage from Mozart and Chopin calmed curs even more than no music at all.

Meanwhile down on the farm…

It’s been noted that cows show a preference for Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony by cranking out more milk than when they’re forced to listen to Wonderstuff’s Size of a Cow.

And does anyone remember those plant studies from the ‘70’s? Sorry, Hendrix, but philodendrons are not your friends. They lean away from speakers pumping Purple Haze, but move in as close as their little plant feet can get them to those far out fugues by Bach.

Heck, even microbes have been shown to feel the classical music love. They consume more sludge to the beat of Mozart's Magic Flute than when they are forced to sludge in silence.

And so, it should be no surprise to you that music affects the human clan as well. One study done in 1998 found that listening to grunge increased the hostility, tension, and sadness of subjects. Another experiment yielded the exact same findings as the canine study above.

But fear not – I'm not going to suggest that you only fill your iPod with a bunch of baroque (unless, of course, you are currently freaking out from too much stress). However, it does look like music is a great way to get into the mood of your Work in Progress.

 

If your main character is a teen full of hostility, tension, and sadness – go for the Nirvana for goodness sake.

Writing about a flawed individual with avoidance issues? One word – Hendrix.

Need some nervous energy for a particular piece of art? Crank up the Iron Maiden.

And, of course, Beethoven’s your man –

if you’re prepping to pump out a pint of milk.

 

PROMPT: Writer Amy Tan (of The Joy Luck Club fame) wrote of her use of music in The Opposite of Fate: A Book of Musings. Apparently, she chooses a particular album for each book, then writes only to that music. Amy notes that it helps her get into the writing zone right away. It’s certainly worth a try, so set your mood with music before your write today – then rock and write on!

 

Get Ready…

November is only two weeks away, and you know what that means…

A month of outright madness.

No, I am not talking about the witlessness brought on by the presidential election, or the debilitating jetlag caused by the end of Daylight Savings Time.

I’m talking NaNoWriMo.

National Novel Writing Month.

For those of you who don’t know about this crazy creative caper, here’s a little background –

Back in 1999, Chris Baty, an out-of-work anthropologist came up with the idea to write a 50,000-word novel in one month. And while we can certainly wonder why this guy was unemployed when every company in the world has at least 27 positions specifically designed for anthropologists, we cannot question his NaNoWriMo creative brilliance. Heck, it is even fun to say.

Anyway, an idea that began with a group of 21 friends from the San Francisco Bay area (drinking enough coffee in one month to kill an elephant) has evolved into a force of over 200,000 participants worldwide.

Elephants beware.

And while I‘ve never actually completed an entire novel in a month, each year I’ve used the 30 days of November to make a HUGE dent in my WIP (Work in Progress).

Why?

Because misery LOVES miserable company, that’s why.

Actually, I’ve done it because I find it much easier to edit words on a page than those floating around in my head on the slow boat to nowhere.

I’m encouraging you to try it for yourself.

You have two weeks to think about it –

And trust me, your November novel is A LOT more fun to think about than candidates, bad debates, battle state polls, second term goals, fact checking, and what-the-hecking…

Vote NaNoWriMo!

PROMPT: Are you planning to have a NaNoWriMo in November? For more information, you can check out Mr. Baty’s official website here.

Who’s the Boss?

Hip Hip Hooray, it’s National Boss’s Day!

So if you’ve got a boss, it’s a great day to find some great ways to show a little love.

I’ve held numerous jobs over the many years I’ve circled the sun – burger flipper, hotel maid, waitress, psychometrist, counselor… I’ve even done time working in a jail (Please note that this is a little different from actually doing time in jail).

As a result of my varied employment history, I’ve experienced quite an assortment of bosses – from kind to, well, kind of creepy. But none of them can hold a candle to the boss I have today.

Sure, most days I have to start work at 6:00AM, and sometimes I don’t clock out until after midnight. But hey, she lets me work in my pj’s AND eat as much chocolate as I have a hankering for.

Yep –

as a freelancer, I work for myself.

And guess what –

My boss is so awesome, she’s giving me this special day off!

So, I’m outta here.

Hmmmm… maybe I should buy her some chocolate.

PROMPT: If you’ve ever had a boss, I know you’ve got stories. And when it comes to stories, bad bosses are the best! Take it from Dilbert’s creator, Scott Adams, who has made an entire career out of one boss fresh from The Hot Place.

Oh yeah – while you’re creating today, don’t forget to listen to some Springsteen… ‘cause Baby you were Born to Write!