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1. Be fearless.
Throughout his long career, Christopher Walken has not been afraid of taking chances. He plays outrageous characters (remember Diane Keaton’s character’s brother in Annie Hall and Leo DiCaprio’s character’s father in Catch Me If You Can?) He took creative chances with those characters and wasn’t afraid to fail.
Alan Alda, MASH’s Hawkeye Pierce, sums it up really well:
“Be brave enough to live creatively. The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. You cannot get there by bus, only by hard work, risking and by not quite knowing what you are doing.”
Writing takeaway: Try out new ideas regularly. It is the only way you will grow.
2. Put your personal spin on an old idea.
So many writers and bloggers are concerned about finding brand new ideas all the time. Christopher Walken has a unique take and personal voice that shines through, even when he is tackling someone else’s work, as the video above shows in Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, as read by Christopher Walken. He is allowing us to get into his bizarrely creative mind and letting us see how he thinks.
Writing takeaway: Review a book or talk about another author in a blog post, but let us see how you view the world.
3. Turn the expected on its ear.
Walken is a genius at answering a question with another question. You can just see his creative thinking process when he says to an interviewer, “Yeah, you could do it that way. But what would happen if you did this instead? “
Writing takeaway: Turn a conventional idea upside down and ask yourself, “what if?” questions. Scribble it all down, uncensored. Because an idea that seems crazy at first glance just might work.
4. Don’t overthink.
I absolutely love this man because he says whatever comes into his mind. Walken is almost childlike in this way. And we relate to him because of the honesty and the willingness to share his most spontaneous thoughts. (It doesn’t hurt that they are often hilarious.)
What do we get with raw and uncut? As actors in improvisational theatre will tell you, often the best ideas come when the left, analytical side of the brain is turned off and you say the first thing that comes to your mind.
Writing takeaway: Don’t be too linear with your blog post (or short story or novel). Let the words spill out and save the editing for the second draft. You may be surprised at what you come up with.
5. Remove outside distractions.
In a recent interview with The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, Christopher Walken said that he doesn’t own a computer or a cell phone. Now, granted, this seems extreme and some of us need those two things to stay in business, but there is a nugget of truth here.
Writing takeaway: Spend some quality time inside your own mind. Go into that “wilderness of the intuition” Alan Alda was talking about. Turn off the internet and silence the ringtone on that phone. You’ll be less likely to be just repeating other people’s thoughts.
What about you?
Is there an actor who inspires you?
Have you had success with any of these tips?
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Great post. I adore Christopher Walken, although I wasn’t aware that he did a reading on Where The Wild Things Are. Such a maverick, just like Sendak. Thanks for giving me the fire in my belly to write something without borders. Sometimes you just need the push.
Annie recently posted..Valentine’s Day…Love You Unbutton
Maverick. What a great word. Here’s to writers and the creative process!
Judy Lee Dunn recently posted..What I Learned On My 5-Day Social Media Diet
Christopher Walkin reading “Where the Wild Things are” by Maurice Sendak. PERFECT!!!!
karin,
I don’t know who orchestrates the things that actors do, but this one was perfect. Walken has the mind of a runaway child and his commentary on Max, the main character in Where the Wild Things Are, was very perceptive. Like he REALLY understood Max.
Judy Lee Dunn recently posted..Why Am I Here?: Navel Gazing for Writers
This didn’t seem too orchestrated, that’s for sure! I was sitting by myself in my studio laughing my ass off! When Max landed on the island and Mr Walken narrated, regarding the monsters: “who are these bastards?” & then called one of them “Ernie from Sesame Street, gone wrong” I lost it! What a post! Thanks a lot! It’s so hopeful to see someone speaking their own zany mind. Makes life more fun when you can be yourself in it!
Great blog – so many writing blogs sound good but aren’t really applicable. This is implementable. Thank you. And I adore the Hawkeye quote . . . this is why I loved him at the age of 12 and still love him today! I’m printing this blog and keeping it next to my desk as I write. Truly appreciate it!
Donna Highfill recently posted..Why I Want Dick Van Dyke to Humor Me
Donna,
I know. That Alan Alda quote is so good. For years, I had a printed copy of it on my computer monitor. Thanks for visiting from the GenFab Facebook page!
Judy Lee Dunn recently posted..Missing Pieces: The Social Media ‘A-ha Moment’
I think my favorite tip is “Don’t Overthink.” I agree that it’s important to not hold back on the first go around. You can always edit yourself later. And Walken reading “Where The Wild Things Are” = priceless.
Ellen Dolgen recently posted..Ellen Dolgen in the News: (Almost) Healthline’s Top 10 Health Blog & Midlife Mona Lisa Smiles
Ellen,
Yes, I agree. Overthinking will kill our creativity.And I think I could listen to Christopher Walken reading the phone book. He is so expressive. I saw him reading the lyrics to a Lady Gaga song once and he was hilarious. Such a uniquely creative guy.
Judy Lee Dunn recently posted..Why Am I Here?: Navel Gazing for Writers
Now you’re talking my language. LOVE, LOVE Christopher Walken. His career has been pure genius. Yes, bravery has a lot to do with it, but no one can deny his raw unmitigated talent. He never ceases to amaze and always tackles the different. Life is far more interesting when we engage the different, don’t you think?
Tammy,
You are so right on the talent thing. But he also tackles the different, as you say, and that is what sets him apart. I have just learned so much from him. I read a profile on him in The New Yorker a couple of years back and he came across as so humble and honest. I’ll watch any movie he is in. (He cam out with a new one this month called Stand Up Guys. with Robert De Niro and Alan Arkin. It’s on my list. : )
Judy Lee Dunn recently posted..Missing Pieces: The Social Media ‘A-ha Moment’
Great advice. I love the inclusion of the actionable items, the takeaways. And No. 3 is so Christopher Walken. Thank you for sharing this interesting turn on the typical blog advice.
Lisa recently posted..Ivory Soap + microwave + kids = unexpected fun
Lisa,
He does #3 well, doesn’t he? Thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave a comment. Great to see so many Christopher Walken fans here!
Judy Lee Dunn recently posted..My 10 Most Popular Posts in 2012: Want to Find Yours?
Very nice breakdown, Judy. I have a complete blogging category dedicated tactic #2 that I call Pathway of Parables. There’s endless blog starters that fall into that genre and it’s always fun to research and write.
Mark recently posted..DON’T FORGET YOUR CAPE!
If you are consistently using #2, I say, what an interesting and entertaining blog you must have. It’s fun taking something that already exists and creating something different from it, isn’t it?
Judy Lee Dunn recently posted..Why Am I Here?: Navel Gazing for Writers
I’ve used everything from solving Rubik’s Cube to Jack In The Beanstalk to Jonah & The Whale for backdrops. My latest post, DON’T FORGET YOUR CAPE, takes flight from the pages of a Superhero driven comic book.
I’ve used some of these same settings for speaking engagements, including an Avengers theme presentation called, “We Have A Hulk”
Mark recently posted..DON’T FORGET YOUR CAPE!
Well. I need to check out your blog. Sounds interesting. : )
Judy Lee Dunn recently posted..On Writing, Christopher Walken and Finding Your ‘Wild Thing’
Would love to have you visit sometime
Mark recently posted..DON’T FORGET YOUR CAPE!
Christopher Walken is a stand-out actor for sure, Judy. I love how you’ve drawn these points about his work and related them to writing! Fantastic post.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..The Little Things That Make Me Smile
Corrine,
Haven’t talked to you in a while. Good to see you here! We used to talk more when I was on the For Bloggers By Bloggers team. Hope all is well with you and thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
Judy Lee Dunn recently posted..Stuff that Matters: A Blogger’s Creed
Judy, I love your tip #4: “Don’t overthink.”
I have to keep reminding myself just to write, and not too think too much about what I’m trying to do. It’s the “trying” that messes everything up.
Terrific post. Inspiring.
Angela Booth recently posted..Power Blogging for Writers: Five Tips
Angela,
You must have an overactive mind, as I do. It is still very hard for me to just let it all pour out first. It is much easier for me to do ion a blog post than it is when I am working on a chapter of my memoir.
I’m getting better at it, though. : )
Judy Lee Dunn recently posted..Self-Defense Against Fresh Fruit: John Cleese on Storytelling