Allowing Your Imagination To Run Wild

I can’t remember a time when I was little and writing a story that I simply stopped writing because I was out of ideas. The quality of my writing never crossed my mind either. To me, writing was fun… it was almost like playing Barbies, except it was with a pencil and a paper. It was magical, being able to go anywhere and create anything just by having a pencil in my hand. But the older a person gets, the less imaginative they tend to become. Adults just don't imagine the same endless possibilities in playing with a toy train that a five-year-old would. I can’t imagine why… (no pun intended).

There are a lot of lessons we can learn from kids. One lesson in particular that writers can learn from kids is their willingness to allow their imagination to run wild.

Yes, willingness. Because once you get older, you don’t allow your imagination to run wild anymore. However, this can't be the case if you ever plan on having your name in print one day. As writers, we need to continuously have our imaginations running… just like when we were five. And yes, even when we’re not writing.

One of the main causes of writer’s block is from not letting your imagination to flow. It isn't possible to write a story if you lack imagination. I think sometimes writers tend to view writing as a job, doing their best to write without error. However, doing this can hinder your imagination and your true writing ability because you begin to see your story through critical eyes rather than imaginative eyes. While you write, keep your imaginative eyes on. Don’t use your critical eyes until you have reached the editing stage.

Let's learn a lesson from the five-year-old who would have his train jump the track to make his play more exciting before he would ever allow himself to get going around in circles, never venturing to new and more exciting territory. Begin viewing situations and places around you from a writer’s eye and take advantage of every opportunity you have to allow your imagination to run wild.