I’m sure some of you are wondering what on earth mowing the lawn has to do with writing. However if you’ve read any of my previous blog entries, chances are you won’t question it but just follow along after me, hoping to make sense of it eventually…

To me, lawn mowing and writing go hand in hand or to be more precise, brain and foot!

Let me try to explain.

I love mowing the lawn. I fight my darling husband to get the lawn mower first. I’m not as crazy as some of you might think (not totally crazy but I do have my days…). In fact, I think I’m a much saner person because of it.

It all started for peace and quiet really…

Now I know that sounds utterly ridiculous since the noise of the mower is so loud but originally it was the inner peace and quiet I was searching for.

I’ll say just two words…HAVING CHILDREN.

I have to admit I have always had good kids, even from birth, however there is that occasional bad day when they are going to scream or throw tantrums and there is nothing you can do to calm them down and you end up howling in frustration instead.

One of ‘those’ days was when I found the sanity of the lawn mower.

Screaming son inside vs loud mower outside…hmmmm, just the thing I needed.

I raced outside and practically reefed the mower out of my husband’s hands while swiftly swapping our son to his.

With a bemused look at our exchange he shrugged and disappeared inside.

Did you know that you cannot hear pretty much anything over the sound of a lawn mower? In fact it allowed me to relax completely. While monotonously walking behind the mower my mind first became blank then it began to wander. There was nothing specific in its wanderings but it felt like I was taking a step out of my world and in another. By the time I’d finished, I was perfectly calm and I had a story idea as a bonus.

It was easy after that to find excuses to swap baby and mower with my husband. Surely it was his time for baby/daddy bonding?

All I knew was when I was behind that machine I was transported into Allyland and I could hide in my little world, even in full view of everyone. With three children under four years, that became essential…

Now I have a ride on and mowing has become even more than just an exercise in ideas. The upgrade in machine means I now get to use the speed of the mower to create characters and scene. If I want to think out a fast paced action scene or a daredevil character, I fly around the yard, full throttle.

A gentle scene with several plotlines or a character with difficult characteristics that takes some pondering, needs the slow, delicate areas where I have to weave carefully around the dam, trees and animals.

Mowing in rain, sunshine, frost or heatwave also make their mark.

To me, mowing is another way of feeling a scene and getting to know your characters. It’s also a great way to get those ideas flowing.

3 Comments on Lawn Mowing, last added: 3/9/2010