I’m sure you may have had a moment over the past six or so weeks, or what may feel like six decades, where you wish you could calmly sit down and start typing away on something other than class notes or emails, but just don’t know where to start. I’ve found over the past couple of months that writing just for fun, outside of class essays and such, and also with a lot of time on my hands and seeking to try something new, can be an invaluable hobby that anyone can learn. Here are some ideas to help get you to start writing if you want a hobby to start, or maybe just a way to pass time by. Later on, you’ll be glad you took some time to see what your mind once created.
- Randomly select a photo in your camera roll and write about it. The first time I tried this, my finger landed on a photo from October 2019 that resulted from my friend and I following instructions from a sketchy website, that told us we’d get to meet a famous actor if we followed a narrow staircase up to a hole-in-the-wall history museum on University Ave. I wasn’t seriously expecting Rainn Wilson from The Office to really be up there, but sure enough, now I can tell people I’ve met Dwight Schrute.
- Write, in as much obscure and seemingly unimportant detail as you can, about the last dream you had. I always make a habit about recording these in the notes on my phone. One of my recent entries was about how my two dogs and I were stranded on an Alaskan island and couldn’t agree on how to set up a Fourth of July fireworks show, until I decided to jump through a trap door in the sky and ended up in my friend’s apartment. I promise you’ll appreciate looking back on these things in the future as a source of entertainment.
- Recently I went through some old belongings and happened to stumble upon some gems of stories I wrote from 3rd-5th grade that often left the next pages unfinished. Perhaps ten-year-old you, too, had a story or two that hasn’t been looked at in years that could use an ending, even if you put it away afterwards. Then, perhaps in another ten years, start the sequel and see where it goes next. Later on, pass your adventures onto your young kids.
So, as we patiently wait for the world to slowly tilt right-side up again, I hope you can find a little something for yourself in your imagination.