crochetI was crocheting today, and realized that it’s a lot like writing a book (in ways). I took up crochet as a hobby after my son was born. I was looking at being home for long stretches of time with nothing to do (I hadn’t taken up writing yet), so I originally jumped to knitting.

I watched several videos on YouTube, borrowed some yarn and needles from my mom, and learned how to knit. It was tough. For some reason, my brain couldn’t wrap itself around the idea of using those needles and yarn to create something. My first few projects looked like crap, and I was about ready to give up, when I thought, “How about crochet?”

Borrowed a hook from mom (thank goodness she had some), went back to YouTube, and took off like a rocket.  I connected with it instantly. For some strange reason, working with a hook just seemed to come naturally to me. My first few projects came out like crap, but I wasn’t expecting perfection… I was learning.

Now, over 8 years later, I’m crocheting a shawl with some yarn that cost me $40 including shipping from Germany, and using hooks that run about $10 each. It took me some time to build up my skills… messing up many times… learning new stitches… finding the tools that allowed me to work faster.

I’ve had the same journey with writing. When I began, I did some research and found article after article telling me to plot my story out… write down the characters… layout a roadmap of what will happen when… put it all down for reference before you write… etc… I really tried, and failed miserably. I didn’t know of any characters beyond my MC. I had no idea when or where this was going to take place. I was completely lost and confused.

I found out about NaNoWriMo, and figured I’d give it a shot. I also found out that a Camp Nano was about to begin, so I challenged myself to write a short story (10,000 words) in a month to see if Nano might even be possible. I’d had an idea rolling around in my head, but that’s all it was… an idea.

I scoured the web and the nano forums for ideas on how to plot a story out in only a few days, when I stumbled on something called ‘pantsing’. Writing a story without any preparation… what a novel (sorry for the pun) idea!

Needless to say, I finished the story in plenty of time, and found a technique I enjoyed. Over the next couple of short stories, I learned from my mistakes… found better tools… more ways to improve. I was enjoying myself.

The yarn of my stories are the words I use. The ones that add color and texture to the design. The pattern is a combination of the genre and theme of my story. The tools I use were made for writing, skillfully crafted to improve my speed and accuracy. I still make mistakes, but I know how to fix them. I’m also much more willing to show my work (in both forms of creativity).

I guess the point of all this is, if you have a hobby (or are looking for one), be prepared to explore the offshoots… the methods that aren’t the most popular or accepted. You never know, you may find a technique or style that suits you better than the tried and true methods. You may even find a lifelong hobby to be proud of.