In a world as fast-paced as ours, I wonder if anybody spends time in the old-fashioned entertainment that we grew up with. I’m talking about board games.
When my son was little we played them a lot, but as he grew older he turned to more electronic entertainment. Sadly, the board games were put away into the closet. Occasionally we might take them out, but for the most part they sat there and collect dust.
There’s some great board games out there that are specific to wordplay. If you’re having a party, they can add much hilarity and eye-opening antics, will be sure to make your party a success. A couple that come to mind are Cards Against Humanity, What, and The Storymatic.
As a writer I created a whole new reason to have those word games on the shelf in my office, not in the closet. It’s called ideas.
You’ve heard the term writers block? Maybe you’re not at the stage of suffering from writer’s block, but instead you need fresh ideas. My suggestion is to try one or more of these games. I’ve done this several times and had things turn around in my story, going down avenues I never would’ve dreamed possible.
Grab one of those board games and start using it for your writing; take those cards, shuffle, pull one out randomly and sees what it says
Here are a few examples: (from Storymatic) “A person answering a personal ad” paired with “discovery of a new species” Wow are there possibilities there! (from What) “A co-worker has gone on vacation. His wife calls the office and asks how his business trip is going.”
There are other programs and books that will give you writing prompts that work well, too. I find this is a fun way to do to get ideas and dialog. Let’s face it, many of us have board games sitting in the closet, collecting dust. Why not give them the new purpose? Use them not only for entertainment, but also to stimulate the brain– get those ideas flowing. Anything help to get your words on the paper is often welcome.
I have a bookshelf full of “how-to” books on writing, blogging and publishing, but stacked on top shelf where I can easily reach them are my word games. No longer is dust collecting on them. Instead they are getting used. Even if it’s to stimulate my mind or give me a good laugh. Often when your character does or says something totally unexpected, it not only moves the story forward, but will renew the interest of your reader.
So, multipurpose those games and cards and start thinking differently. Don’t limit yourself to only adult games. There are times when you can get some of the sweetest, most innocent ideas from a child’s game which will give a whole new tone to your work in progress.
Let’s play and add some fun to our writing!
Pen In Hand, Words on Page 