LET YOUR MIND OUT TO PLAY by adding some non-fiction to the mix. Don’t get stuck reading only your genre. You will be surprised how getting away from your computer for a few hours or days, letting your brain climb around the jungle gym of new ideas will freshen and strengthen your writing.
Math and Science books are my playgrounds. Struggling to understand big ideas exercises my brain, and I thrill at the pure beauty of nature’s constructs.
And there are practical benefits. You might start to see patterns that play out in the lives of your fictional characters, and you never know when one of those mental constructs or facts you pick up will come to mind just in time to add interest to a character, a scene or suggest an intriguing plot line.
Beyond the pragmatic, good writing is good writing, no matter where you find it. Some of the best writers write about Science or Math. Besides, it’s FUN! And anyone who knows me, knows that if it’s not fun, I’m not doing it 🙂
If you’re looking for some suggestions, try THE DANCING WU LI MASTERS by Gary Zukav, or COSMOS, by Carl Sagan. Feel free to share your favorites. Here’s an old favorite I’m rereading this weekend:
A self-admitted book addict, Valerie was the kid with the flashlight under her pillow. A life of travel with exposure to many different cultures led to a pervasive interest in people, with degrees & teaching credentials in Cultural Anthropology & English.