April 14, 2010

“The best time for planning a book is when you’re doing the dishes.” ~~Agatha Christie

“Lately I’ve been having conversations with a friend about the importance of the menial, everyday tasks in our lives, and how they provide wonderful opportunities to let our minds loose to roam, explore, and process…

We live in such a noisy world. Whenever we’re driving or folding laundry or jogging, it’s tempting to always have our iPods or cell phones in our ears, or the TV or radio on in the background. How desperately we avoid having a few moments of silence!”

But these moments of silence are so important for writers. So much “writing” and “processing” that we do requires silence. For more about this, read “Embracing Silence” on Rachelle Gardner’s agent blog.

6 Comments »

1. 

   Amen, Kristi. I’m sending a link to my husband because that is exactly why I do value the *quotidian* … and I’ve never quite been able to articulate this so well. Thank you.

   Comment by Vijaya Bodach — April 14, 2010 @ 9:42 am

2. 

   I forgot to add that I often think God is in the dishes

   Comment by Vijaya — April 14, 2010 @ 9:49 am

3. 

   So true, Kristi! My husband was laughing at me the other day because I told him that I come up with my best ideas while I’m doing hair and makeup in the bathroom after a bath every morning. I don’t think there’s anything magical about those tasks other than that they are about the only ones during the day during which a child is not talking to me. My mind is able to wander and play with story possibilities in ways that I cannot while home schooling, etc.

   Comment by Beth Mac — April 14, 2010 @ 9:57 am

4. 

   Yes, yes, yes! Menial tasks or taking a walk time (sans headphones) is when those ideas percolate and you see how to get out of a snag. Let’s hear it for scrubbing the floor! Well, maybe not….

   Comment by Jane Healy — April 14, 2010 @ 3:55 pm

5. 

   There was an article in our local newspaper recently about how important silence is good for the human mind. It provides a time of decompressing and rejuvination. For the life of me I can’t remember who wrote it. Ugh. I’ll have to go research the archives.

   Comment by Donna McDine — April 15, 2010 @ 6:53 am

6. 

   Thank you, everyone, for the comments. Silence IS golden, we are finding. And for writers, in particular, I am finding that it’s critical. Walking silently, washing dishes silently, even washing dishes silently–it really helps the brain “receive” things, doesn’ it?

   Comment by Kristi Holl — April 16, 2010 @ 6:06 pm

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