Binge Watching: The Bane and Savior of a Writer

I watch a lot of stuff.

Anime, movies, TV shows, YouTube, etc.

But I suppose everyone watches a lot of stuff nowadays.

Although, sometimes I wonder if I watch more than others as the weekend slips away and that work in progress I wanted to make headway on sits in my Google drive untouched.

Of course, when it comes to anime, watching shows has become my husband’s and my go-to activity when our free times line up, so I feel a little less guilty after watching 8+ hours of One Piece, Dragon Ball, or whatever other show we’re currently binging.

But as we watch, that not-so-little voice in the back of my head is often droning on about the million and one ways I can improve and expand my witch fantasy novel/series. This is distracting most of the time, especially when we’re watching subbed shows.

And yet, sometimes the stars collide in a glorious, chaotic explosion, resulting in a heightened viewing and brainstorming experience.

I notice elements the show and my novel have in common, and it activates something inside me analogous to a creative influx. But instead of heading to the keyboard…I continue to consume all that is available to me until either my head droops with fatigue or my resources run dry.

If I’m lucky, once I’ve recovered from my indulgences, I’ll take the leftover dregs of inspiration and brew a potion that puts me in a writing trance that may last an hour or so.

More likely though, I’ll find another muse to steal my attention for a little while.

Still, as many writers do, I’ll always find my way back to the keys or pen because the words coursing through me refuse to be dammed for long.

Happy Writing (and Watching)!

C. R. Pigg

**********************************************************************************

P.S. For those curious about my anime viewing preference, I tend to watch mostly subs as it’s usually more convenient and less waiting on a show to release; however, if I was introduced to a show via the dub, I’ll continue to watch it that way unless the quality of the voice acting changes significantly.