Rachel Starr Thomson

In her recent comment below, Elisabeth asked,

On the subject of writing, I have a question.  I’ve been writing under the impression that if you come up with an idea that fits “the blank,” but you don’t like that idea, then don’t use it.  In other words, use the ideas you like, and not just the ones that work.  Is that a good principle to use?

It was good of Elisabeth to ask this question, as I was at a loss for what to blog today and it’s a good question. As I understand it, she’s asking something like this: When I go to furnish my house, should I acquire a chair just because it’s capable of being sat upon, or should I only acquire those chairs which appeal to me aesthetically too?

To which question my answer is Both. When one needs to sit, one needs to sit, and to impose too many rules on suitable places for sitting will border on the ridiculous. On the other hand, when you CAN choose a chair both for its sitability and for its aesthetic qualities, by all means do so. You know why? Because chances are you’ll sit in that chair far more often.

When you pick up an idea for use in a story, it’s a big advantage if you really LIKE that idea; if something about it inspires you to work on it, to play with it, to celebrate it. If you use an idea just because it works, you risk ending up with something you’d much rather stick in a dark corner and not have to look at again. So yes, most of the time it’s a good principle to stick with ideas you like, but balance is important too — you might just find out, once you’ve given it time, that one of those fill-in-the-blankers has an odd sort of charm.

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