As a reader, I’ve spent a lifetime being enthralled by the magic in stories. As a writer, I have to infuse my own magic into stories.
Magic in an Image
I love the picture above. The homely man in his sweater and oversized slippers, a glass of sherry at his elbow, immersed in his newspaper. The floor lamp behind his chair is turned off because enough light filters through the window to ready by. It’s winter; we can see snow on the rooftops across the street. A cat sits on the sill, enthralled by the magic of penguins soaring by outside – a magic lost on the man, who’s too absorbed in someone else’s explanation of the world to look up and notice.
The picture came to me on a greeting card which I framed. It sits on my desk, and every day I gaze at it and let it inspire me to see the magic in ordinary things. After all, isn’t writing stories all about finding the magic that turns a sparrow into a pod of flying penguins? The back of the card names Michael Sowa as the artist, “Februar” as the title of this image. Mr. Sowa is obviously a man who knows a thing or two about the search for the magic–and about finding it.
For me, this picture embodies a deep truth. Magic is about seeing things a little sideways. Magic in stories is something rare. I love it when I find it. I strive to put magic into my own stories, but it’s not always easy to find while I’m writing.
An Interesting Take on Magic
I recently read a book called ‘Big Magic – Creative Living beyond Fear’ by Elizabeth Gilbert. This author has an interesting take on creativity. She believes that ideas are disembodied entities that exist separate from us, and whose goal is to be made manifest. This can only happen through partnership with a human.
Ideas are therefore constantly searching for a human to collaborate with. Inspiration is the moment when a human notices an idea. Creativity is the process of accepting that inspiration and turning the idea into a finished work – a story, a painting, a building design, a knitted sweater.
For someone like me, with a background in the sciences and a career spent in the laboratory, the notion of ideas as invisible life-forms… Well, it seems a little fanciful, to say the least.
Finding the Magic for My Stories
On the other hand, I’m a writer of fantastical fiction, so surely it behooves me to be open-minded. I can start small. I can entertain the concept of ideas arising from a source external to myself. In a way, it’s liberating to think that I don’t actually have to dream up an idea. It has to find me, and all I have to do is be receptive. Since there’s really no way to know where ideas come from, why should it matter? It boils down to a simple formula of sitting in front of the computer every day, whether I’m inspired or not, and writing something – all the while being like the cat looking out the window. Always on the search for the magic.
I’ve noticed that after a while, ideas do come more easily. And occasionally, there are penguins.