This week I’ve been reading Melissa Dinwiddie’s The Creative Sandbox Way. I’ve had this book for about fifteen years, and I’m just now getting around to cracking the cover. Much like the photo above of a sunset at Lake Powell, I’m enjoying this book in layers.
The first time through, I read everything and placed stickies to mark the pages where the writing prompts/exercises were so I could go back and do them. The second time, I had my journal and pen ready. I copied the questions, then took one to three pages to answer them. Now I’m on my third pass. I’m making notes about her 10 Guideposts for the Creative Sandbox Way and other nuggets I’ve found on the pages.
I’ve read many craft books. A majority are memoir-like with some writing prompts and reflections added. Most are aimed at beginning or aspiring writers. Melissa’s book is different. She keeps the focus on the reader and sprinkles in only a few personal anecdotes. I’ve found the prompts to be applicable to all levels of writers. Most of her suggestions are ones I’ve heard before. I like the way she presents the information and encourages readers to do the exercises.
I found my responses flowing easily and quickly onto the page. I liked my descriptions of a sunset (one of the prompts). I had no trouble coming up with 20 of them. It’s interesting to me that only a couple related to color. I played her “What if” game and was reminded of forgotten desires. The truth of my words runs from the beginning of my writing career to now. They tell me that there is more come. I still have a drive to write. I understand my challenges. It’s up to me to decide when to add or remove another layer of my creativity.
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