Under the Sun
'I'm booooorrrreeeeeddd' is one of those 'death by whining' laments that every parent dreads. When was the last time you were bored? Boredom is a luxury, not something that busy working parents who would rather be writing often indulge in. A little boredom as a kid is no bad thing - it makes you inventive and self reliant. (I always stick with 'there's no such thing as being bored, only boring people' which makes me sound like Forrest Gump, but normally stops the six-year old's complaint and she soon finds something interesting to do).
How do you feel about the books you see on the bestseller lists - all the ghost written biographies, weird voyeuristic stories of child abuse and the same stellar author names again and again? Are you bored? We've had chick lit, matron lit, dick lit, lad lit, hip lit, and pop lit (any more you can think of?). Everyone wants a unique, smart hook for a new writer. What's next? What's the big new trend in publishing? Trend forecasting always makes me curious - how can you predict the future when patterns only become apparent in retrospect and the avant garde becomes mainstream and what was cool becomes hot? We're all writers and artists - I bet a fair few of you are innovators. How have you felt in the past when people copied you? Is imitation really flattery or does it just annoy you? Peter Cook called a colleague 'the bubonic plagiarist' - I get the feeling being copied irritated him too.
It's the one thing that riles me - I find it boring and unimaginative. At our last school there was a kid who started copying my little girl's clothes. I later heard the mother passing a story off as her own that one of the other Mum's had told me - clearly she had insecurities and maybe adopting the image and stories of the people around her like a chameleon gave her confidence. Growing up, there was a friend who copied relentlessly - she had money but no originality. You bought one antique postcard - she bought albums. You wore a yellow polo-neck, she dressed identically the next time you saw her (it was a bit like the 70's playground version of Single White Female). Boring. Herman Melville said 'It is better to fail in originality than succeed in imitation.' Don't know about you, but I've had plenty of failures (fashion and otherwise), but at least they were my own.
Copying, replicating is all around us - the net allows something to spread like wildfire. Memes, virals, chain letters, spam and phish emails imitating genuine messages, the offers of fake watches, phony million dollar lottery wins, (thank goodness! My worries are over - Mrs Nkebekeme of the Nigerian State Lottery mailed this morning to say she will transfer my prize if I would just be kind enough to send her my name, address, and bank details). It's always struck me that sometimes the innovators - the true originals - don't find the fame and fortune. It's the smart guy just behind who has a sharp eye for something new, and the business skills to pull it off. So do you innovate and push the boundaries or do you take a tried and tested writing formula and try to do it better? The publisher I interviewed a couple of weeks ago said even if you mercilessly copy the style of a classic writer the voice that will emerge is your own. Duffy, the singer in the clip at the head of this post, is doing really well - I loved her music since seeing her on Jools Holland's show. Her references and songs are old, but her voice is her own. The same goes for a lot of the 'new' music I've bought recently - Madeleine Peyroux was marketed as sounding a bit like Billie Holliday, and the Ting Tings remind me of Debbie Harry's delivery and 80's electro pop. Creative work always references the past I think - but it's new and of its age nonetheless.
Particularly when you are pushed for time, it's tempting to stick with what you know - the same routine. Old favourites are fine, (whether that's music, film, food, clothes, writing habits), but when was the last time you tried something new? Keeping fresh eyes and an openness to what's around you is the key to keeping you and your work interesting and alive. There's a great video clip of the singer Sarah Bareilles and her band hearing their song for the first time on the radio - maybe it's staged, but their enthusiasm is catching. Children are a masterclass in how amazing the world is - everything is new to them, and through their enthusiasm you get to experience the world again. I used to love the character on the Fast Show who thought everything was 'Brilliant!' In your work, just because an idea is old hat to you doesn't mean it isn't brilliant to someone coming to it for the first time.
TODAY'S PROMPT: Why not try something new today? Ever tried figs spliced open, drizzled with honey and slow baked - if you haven't I'd recommend it as they are gorgeous at the moment. If you write in the morning, try the evening. When was the last time you listened to a new band? Have a flick around one of the download sites and try some samples out. How about a new writer, a first time novelist? I just tried Rebecca Miller's new book and loved it. Why not start a new page in your notebook and make a list of new places and things you want to try - if ever you're feeling bored you'll have a readymade inspiring list to kick start your enthusiasm. Brilliant.
