CREATIVE WRITING
Experimenting with form
Stuart MacBride explains the benefits of shaking things up from time to time
Of all the things a writer can get stuck in (lifts, cupboards, sleeping bags full of jam) a rut is probably the worst. Unless you’ve got a spectacularly hairy back, that is, because I imagine jam’s probably hell to wash out when it gets all matted into your fur like that.
The trouble is they’re extremely easy to get into (ruts, not sleeping bags full of jam). We find something that works for us and we stick with it. Why wouldn’t we? If it works, don’t fiddle about with it! Or should we…?
And the answer is a resounding, ‘maybe?’
To date I’ve written 24 novels (three of which will never be released), a collection of short stories, a picture book for twisted children, and a handful of novellas (one of which is so rude and silly that I’ve been banned from publishing it), so the appeal of finding myself a comfortable rut, where the process of writing runs smoothly from ‘It was a dark and stormy night…’ through to ‘and they all lived happily ever after.’ is not insignificant.
But why make life easy on yourself when you can make it interesting instead?
Well, interesting/challenging/difficult. Now I know, at this point, you’re probably thinking: ‘Who is this bearded twit to tell me anything about writing? He’s not been a number-one bestseller for at least four years, or been on an award shortlist for ages, and he’s put on a chunk of weight during lockdown too.’ And you’d be correct. Cruel, but correct. Still, we’re both here now so we might as well make the best of it.