I play chess. I play it very badly. But it serves a definite purpose with regard to writing: It uses a different part of the brain. So when I've been pushing really hard on a story, as I have with the new, untitled (of course) one that I'm writing now, a few games of chess banish the story completely from my mind for a while. Actually, chess is almost the only thing that banishes the story, and thus gives my fictional brain a rest. Not even sleep works as well, because I sometimes dream of stories I'm working on.
I will be away this long weekend, visiting a friend at the New Jersey shore. Walking on the beach, eating crab, and drinking white wine will not, I know from experience, keep my fictional characters (Jenny, Eric, Carleen) from clamoring at my mind. And the friends I'm visiting do not play chess. Them's the breaks.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
You know you could always try playing on-line. Not quite the same but it might help a little.
I love Chess, but I don't get to play as much as I'd like to, mainly because I don't really have anyone to play with.
But I didn't know about how playing chess uses a different part of the brain than writing. That's something I will have to keep in mind.
-- John-Mark
Post a Comment