Embrace the boredom

Baby birds, a slow pace, and giant bubbles

Small talk

Hello, how’s the weather over there? This week the wind blew something fun my way. I met two of my kidlit heroes—Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris—at a bookstore event! I wanted to say something profound that would instantly make us friends forever. All I said was, “Your presentation was amazing. You’ve got great energy.” So what do you think? Best friends forever now? :)

Book bite

This week’s book bite is MELL FELL, a story about a little bird bravely flying for the first time ever while her mom is away. Corey R. Tabor’s innovate use of the physical form of the book to raise the stakes and build tension blew my mind. I love the gorgeous illustrations, the hilarious creatures who try to save Mell as she falls, and the delightful surprise ending. Read my full review here.

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Creative nugget

One of the tricky parts of revision is staying playful. After a bunch of drafts, I ask myself, “Is this actually funny anymore? Does this land? Will this reach the heart?”

Sometimes I even feel—dare I say it—BORED.

I used to panic when boredom arrived during revisions. It made me feel like the thing I created was an utter failure. But then I learned about creative giants who use boredom to enhance creativity, like Neil Gaiman who said:

[Ideas] come from day dreaming, from drifting, that moment when you’re just sitting there… The trouble with these days is that it’s really hard to get bored. I have 2.4 million people on Twitter who will entertain me at any moment…it’s really hard to get bored. I’m much better at putting my phone away, going for boring walks, actually trying to find the space to get bored in. That’s what I’ve started saying to people who say ‘I want to be a writer,” I say ‘great, get bored.‘

Boredom lets me know that I could make my character goofier, my line funnier, my stakes higher. When I embrace boredom, my stories become better.

What’s the role of boredom in your creative process?

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Bring your own juice box

B.Y.O.J.B. is that special kid table moment when you exchange your dad’s famous chocolate chip cookies for your favorite fruit snacks.

This week I’m offering a recent movie I’ve loved: Everything Everywhere All at Once

Full disclosure: I bathed the movie theater in my tears. I’ve never seen a movie that captures the nuances of difficult familial relationships like this one. It messed with my brain (in a good way) and went straight to my heart.

Wanna trade? Share something you love here.

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Brownie points

If you’re in the mood for dessert:

• Watch me make magical giant bubbles soar through the sky here (and learn how to make your own here).

• Guess who’s wearing this mustache over on Instagram and Twitter (answer revealed on Wednesday).

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Is anyone missing from the table today? Invite them to the creative feast!

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Thanks for stopping by. I’ll save you a spot next week AT THE KIDS TABLE.

See you then,

Rachel

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