Doing Chores

Doing Chores

by: Cassie M. Shiels

Like any child I hated doing chores. I grumbled or groaned, but sluggishly got up and did them. I was very quick to get my jobs done however, when there was a book I wanted to read and I was told I could not read it until my chores were done. :D
As an adult, a mom, I end up doing a lot of things that I use to hate doing. Cleaning the bathroom, washing dishes, laundry etc. I could hate it but I don't. Its different when you are doing these things to take care of your family as a mom.
When I was a child doing chores at home, I did not like it but I found a way to make the time pass better. I would create a story while working. When scrubbing the shower, I was cinderella, and I would create a whole story around what I was doing. It was my start of talking to characters. As I grew I continued to do it. Occasionally I would have a story that I only told myself for weeks when I worked on tasks that didn't need much of my mind. I would hold conversations between characters in the shower, cleaning, mopping, ironing and things like that.
I remember being a janitor in collage and boy did I come up with some fun stories when I had to ride down the scary elevator, or vacuums a rug while being starred at by passerby's, while mopping under tables with music coming from the dance rooms near by.
Tasks where your mind can wander are awesome times to create stories. However its is hard when in the shower and you need paper right now before that awesome dialogue gets lost forever!!
If you are having a hard time figuring out a scene or figuring out how two characters would talk to each other maybe choose to do a chore. Choose for example to hand wash all the dishes instead of put them in the dishwasher and give your characters a chance to show you how they will act or what they may say. Its a good way to get over a bout of writers block. Its also a good way to get somethings around the house done. Two for one! :D