Writing Lessons From my Dogs: Changing It Up

Winter warnings early in the week had given way to forecasted temperatures of 80°. It was time to take the pups swimming. We headed to Good Dog Park–since, true to its name, my dogs tend to behave better there than at other off-leash destinations–and prepared to walk a mile or so to the river.

I could have headed out the way we always go. But why? It was time to change it up for both me and the pups. So, where I normally would have gone straight, I went left. We cut across the 500-acre park to a dappled forest trail until we ran into some houses. About face, forward march to the left turn I had ignored, where half a dozen switchbacks led up the hill and toward our watery destination. When we reached the top, I turned to see snowcapped mountains framed in a wash of cerulean sky.

I had been opting to take new routes all week. The day before, we had traveled along a narrow trail at the top of a small ridge. We were probably only a hundred feet away from the double-track we’ve traveled often over the years, but the look and feel couldn’t have been more different.

I had wanted to change things up to tire out my pups by giving them new sights and smells. I didn’t realize that in the process, the new stimulation would also invigorate me.

Research shows that taking a walk boosts creativity and idea production. It stands to reason that walking in unfamiliar territory is going to intensify that mental activity.

So, what if we change it up and apply that to writing? I’m sure you have a writing routine by now. Maybe that involves where you write, when you write, or what you write with. What would happen if you change it up? Studies reveal, for example, that cursive writing, print writing, and typing all use different parts of the brain. Opting to tap all of the above means taking advantage of way more gray matter than you have been. Talking utilizes yet another part of the brain, which is why brainstorming during writing coach sessions usually proves so successful. To take advantage of this verbal asset, several of my clients have taken my advice and started recording their thoughts. While that will never take the place of actual writing, it has proven to be a hugely effective brain dump tool. It’s efficient, too, since you don’t have to be at your desk. To be honest, I dictated most of this blog post while on the dog walk that’s the subject of this post. I was thinking about what I wanted to say, so why not? And as I walked and talked, my spoken thoughts led me from one idea to the next. After a dog swim and a stroll up the river, we retraced our steps. I assumed our path would look different when approaching it from the opposite direction, and I was right. Bonus!

Here’s to changing it up and discovering new paths in writing and in life.

This article was originally published on One Stop Writing Shop's blog at https://lindengross.com/2024/05/23/change-it-up/.