As we’ve established, Amara fancies herself something of a scientist writer her, uh, self. Finding inspiration is hard, and you’re going to get as many answers about the best way to find it as individual writers you ask.
I have, in fact, heard “act your stories” as advice, but I’ve never done it.
So, anyway, here’s Amara playing with puppets.
And I guess, kinda-sorta, this is the reverse of Space-Amara catching Space-Kat playing with little plastic fighting dudes.
Copyright
J.B. Norman
Amara Valda, aspiring author is deep in the act of perfectly her latest Steel-Grey Saoirse story. At this point, it is a very precise, very delicate process to be approached with the utmost commitment and seriousness.
“Grrr,” Amara says, making the puppet in her left hand gesticulate threateningly. “I shall get you, Steel-Grey Saoirse!”
“I say thee nay Lord Evil…oglous,” she makes the other puppet respond. “Have at thee!”
She then smashes the two puppets together, beginning an epic fight scene that will no doubt prove a challenge to convey in words. She anticipates that most of those words will be ‘sword’ and ‘smite’.
The door to Amara’s door solely opens.
“Hey, Amara,” Kat says, coming in through the door, “can I —”
“By the Powers, Katherine!” Amara shrieks. “What are you doing, just bursting in unannounced like that?
“Is, uh, is this a bad time?” Kat asks.
“Ahem,” Amara says, managing to regain her purpose. “I’m afraid you’ve caught me in the middle of the creative process.”
“Your creative process is playing with dolls?” Kat asks.
“They are not dolls, Katherine! They are puppets. And they are not just puppets, they’re writing aids.”
“That you play with?”
“I’ll have you know that this is a very involved, very demanding and above all, utterly critical part of the process!” Amara insists.
“A very involved part of the process where you kneel on the floor of your bedroom, smacking do— puppets into each other?”
“I’m acting out the scenes. I happen to write with a very vivid, very active style. It’s easier to conceptualise what I’m trying to do when I act out the story,” Amara explains. “It’s a perfectly legitimately way to find inspiration and work out my ideas.”
“Do most writers do that by, like, writing?” Kat asks.
“Well,” Amara admits, still blushing, “as you know, I was having trouble finding my inspiration for my last story.”
“The one with the Dragon?”
“Yes, Katherine.”
“The one with the Dragon that I helped you with?”
“Yes, Katherine.”
“The one with the Dragon that I helped you with that won the Porthaven Haven Young Writers’ Award?”
“One mustn’t rest on one’s laurels Katherine,” Amara answers. “And, yes, winning an award was rathe flattering, but there are other stories of Steel-Grey Saoirse that I need to get from my brain onto the page.”
Kat stares sceptically at Amara.
“By playing with puppets?”
Amara sighs heavily.
“Yes, Katherine,” she answers sarcastically, “by playing with puppets.”
“Huh,” Kat notes. “Maybe this whole writing thing isn’t as hard as I thought it was. And I thought there’d be more actual writing, you know, since — fmph!”
Kat’s next words, along with her entire face, are muffled by Amara flinging her Lord Eviloglous puppet at her.
“That is quite enough, Katherine,” Amara says. “Help me puzzle out my ideas again, or kindly leave me to my creating.”
“Just have her fight another Dragon,” Kat offers.
This time, Amara flings the Steel-Grey Saorise doll right at Kat’s face.
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