Bradbury's Muse-Summoning List Trick

Ray Bradbury's masterwork

You, dearest readers, were promised Ray Bradbury and his way of list-making

that spurred his creativity and enabled him to write with cerebral, eye-popping imagery.

According to Brainpickings.org, Bradbury's book  Zen in the Art of Writing  claimed it also jogged his memory. When the Muse whispered her sweet sparks of inspiration to him, he would write a list of words which were evocative of that which would convey to the reader in the final work.

"These lists were the provocations, finally, that caused my better stuff to surface. I was feeling my way toward something honest, hidden under the trapdoor on the top of my skull."
-Bradbury

Before we begin our own lists, let's have a look at an example of one of his from Brainpickings.org:

THE LAKE. THE NIGHT. THE CRICKETS. THE RAVINE. THE ATTIC. 
THE BASEMENT. THE TRAPDOOR. THE BABY. THE CROWD. 
THE NIGHT TRAIN. THE FOG HORN. THE SCYTHE. THE CARNIVAL.
 THE CAROUSEL. THE DWARF. THE MIRROR MAZE. THE SKELETON.

Oooooh, creepy, eh? The list itself speaks volumes. Let's see another, shall we?

THE MEADOW. THE TOY CHEST. THE MONSTER.

 TYRANNOSAURUS REX. THE TOWN CLOCK. THE OLD MAN.

THE OLD WOMAN. THE TELEPHONE. THE SIDEWALKS. 

THE COFFIN. THE ELECTRIC CHAIR. THE MAGICIAN.

Now, suppose I am one of those super-smart fellows working at Nintendo. Suppose we're developing, oh... I don't know, a neat new game. My Bradbury-like list is scrawled in my notes. It reads:

Green Hat. Peril. Quest.
Power. Courage. Wisdom.
Green grass. Master sword.
Treasure chest. Labyrinth.
Puzzle. Lost woods.

If you think you know what game I'm referring to, post in the comments. You get major geek points if you're right.

Also, make some lists of your own for your poem/novel/song/artwork/interpretive dance. Try THE ARTIST'S TOOLBOX item #2: Lists. If you need a recap, Item #1 was a thinking cap. Get yourself one that suits you.

Happy New Year everybody!!! May your creativity floweth over all year long.

~Dr. (Ki)2

2 Embedded Lists within a List of 7 Reasons Writers should Write Lists

Item #1 in The Artist's ToolboxMy Thinking Cap

2 Embedded Lists within a List 

of 7 Reasons Writers should Write Lists

1. By typing or writing down the#1, you've officially

gotten the ball rolling.

2. Really, there's no sense in putting down a #1

without following it up with a number #2.

So this list thing is keeping the ball rolling.

Momentum? Yes!

3. According to this obscure law called The Law of Inertia

(Newton's 1st Law of Motion), once the ball is rolling,

it's going to keep on on rolling, gathering no moss. Unless, of course,

One should encounter an unbalanced force in the way,

 like a toddler or big fat writer's block.

4. The kinds of lists you can make are limitless! 

Chronological, numerical, alphabetical, haphazard...

5. If it's a task-oriented list, putting that little √

next to a task is soooooo satisfying.

6. The template is so easy!

The Adjective + The Number + Random Subject

(adjective and numerical value can be switched up a bit)

The Happiest 14 Animal Actors in Hollywood

The 20 Most Scandalous Ugly Sweaters on the Runway

6 Reasons Reading a Quick List Trumps Reading a Poem

7. Ray Bradbury had a very unique way of using lists to spike his creativity.

While impressive, his technique about writing lists has no place

in a list such as this, so just wait at the edge of your chair for a forthcoming

blog of enlightenment, brought to you via me and www.brainpickings.org and 

of course, Ray Bradbury. 

Write 2 lists and text me in the morning,

~Dr. K