Leslie Karst here, pleased to welcome the marvelous Ellie Alexander to the coop, to talk about the benefits of boredom–something we could all perhaps use a little bit more of. And she’s giving away a copy of her new mystery, A VERY NOVEL MURDER, to one lucky commenter!
The Beauty of Boredom
When we think about what sparks creativity, a long list might come to mind. Things like classes, workshops, immersive retreats, engaging in new hobbies, and moving your body. All of these are true, but research has shown time and time again that the single most important thing we can do to enhance our creative energy is to sink deeply into boredom. That’s right, boredom.
There’s nothing like the gift of letting your mind wander freely. It’s something I’ve embraced since childhood and brought with me in every book I’ve written. Now, in fairness, as a card-carrying member of Gen X, I had no other choice but boredom during my early years. There were no screens, no social media, and no constant barrage of news and information. I spent my summers reading in the backyard and scribbling out stories, including the first mystery I ever wrote in second grade—The House on the Haunted Hill. I’m still not sure about the semantics on that one. Is the hill haunted? Who’s to say? Maybe.
My sixth-grade teacher informed me that she knew the people who had previously owned our house and believed there was a secret passage somewhere inside. Needless to say, I spent that entire year mapping out blueprints, traipsing the perimeter of our yard, knocking on basement walls, and making up stories about whoever and whatever might be inhabiting a secret passage somewhere inside. Did I ever find out if said secret passage existed? No. Did it matter? Also no. Because I was creating my own world, embracing my boredom.
I’m convinced that boredom matters now more than ever. As we’re facing a slog of AI slop and the constant need to be plugged into technology, I’m leaning deeper into boredom. Without boredom, I would never have the joy of stumbling through a messy first draft, completely stuck on a plot point, staring off into space. And then inevitably, like magic, that ah-ha moment strikes! The pieces that just weren’t fitting snap into place, or a character swoops in to save the scene. Without sitting in our boredom, we miss nuance, we miss synchronicity, we miss the small moments that might end up being the spark of something brand new.
I’m not sure I was always aware that I built boredom into my writing routine, but I’m very conscious and grateful for that now. My mornings start with a walk around my neighborhood or a swim at our community pool, ample time and space to let my brain drift anywhere it wants to go. I might pay attention to the way the wind shakes purple blossoms loose from the trees, or to how the air is tinged with the sweet scent of jasmine mingling with chlorine. Maybe I’ll listen to the sound of the birds or stop in the park to people watch for a few minutes. Or I’ll brew myself a strong cup of coffee, grab my notebook and a pencil, and sit in silence for a while.
Boredom isn’t an empty void of nothingness. It’s a chance to activate new connections, to daydream, and imagine. I have stacks and stacks of scribbled stories resting in a drawer that are still waiting to be told, thanks to the beauty of boredom.
And speaking of secret passages, that summer search inspired my newest series, The Secret Bookcase and Novel Detectives.
Readers: What about you? How does boredom play into your life? I’d love to hear what it looks like for you. I’ll share a signed copy of A Very Novel Murder with one lucky person who answers this question in the comments.
About A Very Novel Murder: Opening a detective agency above her beloved bookstore seems like the perfect business plan―until Annie Murray’s first case involves a suspicious death right on her doorstep.
June Munrow, an elderly resident of Annie’s home town, Redwood Grove, is convinced that young Kelly Taylor’s recent drowning wasn’t the tragic accident everyone believes it to be. Despite the police ruling, June is determined to prove there’s more to the story and hires the Novel Detectives to uncover the truth.
As Annie delves into Kelly’s life, she discovers a tangled web of secrets involving Kelly’s complicated relationships, a peculiar landlord, and her mysterious roommate. Everyone connected to Kelly seems to be hiding something, and the deeper Annie digs, the more puzzling the case becomes. With her trademark blend of curiosity and compassion, can Annie piece together the clues and solve her first official case―before she gets into deep water herself?
Ellie Alexander is a voracious reader and a lover of all things bookish. She has published 46 novels and counting, with over half a million copies in print. She writes for Macmillan, Storm, and Simon & Schuster, and her books have been translated into Japanese, Spanish, German, Russian, Italian, Slovakian, Czech, and French.
Chicks on the Case 
I think you have definitely stumbled onto a key to creativity that many children don’t experience anymore. I grew up in the last generation when the majority of kids had a stay at home mom for most of their childhood. So many children are raised today with every moment of the day accounted for. They are surrounded by peers, in daycare, after school programs, and sports activities. I remember well the joy of my siblings and I learning to entertain ourselves on a rainy summer day. We used our imagination to build all kinds of things with blocks. We made up our own games. When do kids today ever get to do that? There’s no need to include me in the book giveaway Ellie.
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Yeah, we don’t always think about how important it is to have long stretches of doing nothing and being away from a screen. Here’s to figuring out ways to support the next generations in doing just that!
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Ellie!!! Welcome to the Coop! I love the premise of your series. Very best wishes for great success. And I loved your post. I agree that “boredom” can spark creativity, if we let it.
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Thanks so much for having me! Three cheers for embracing boredom.
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You call it boredom, I called it day-dreaming. My childhood was built on stories, those in books, where my nose was always buried according to my mom or creating my own little fantasy worlds where I did not have pesky little sisters interrupting everything. Unfortunately, once the adult world took over, those day-dreams were left behind. Time to see about reclaiming them.
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Yes, go get those dreams!
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Consider this your sign to go reclaim those dreams!
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I often think how thankful I am that I grew up in a time before computers and cell phones (and only four channels on TV–ABC, NBC, CBS, and PBS). Time to lie on the grass and watch the clouds race by, play catch on the sidewalk, ride our bikes through the neighborhood, and simply daydream….
Thanks for the lovely post, Ellie, and congrats on the new book!
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Thanks so much for having me and I agree there’s nothing better than a day spent with our head in the clouds.
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Ellie, so glad you’re here! I love letting my mind wander, and I think starting off your day with a walk or swim is a marvelous idea.
Like Leslie, I appreciate watching the clouds float by. I also have a thing for staring at water: the roaring ocean, a quiet pond…
Congrats on your newest series!
P.S. I also tried finding a secret passageway through the closet in my childhood home–no luck, though.
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A house in our neighborhood made the news when they found remnants of a tunnel and then a secret room in the basement. It turned out the house had been part of the Underground Railroad.
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We seriously need to do a secret passageway hunt in real life! I’m going to find a way to make that happen!
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Yes, nothing like gazing at flowing water, Jen!
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Ellie, I’m so thrilled you joined us and YES to this! I wrote a blog post, “The Zen of Picking Up Dog Poop,” about the topic. Basically, how mindless activity lets your mind wander. You can only fill an empty cup, to coin a metaphor.
thanks for stopping by and the great post.
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I so appreciate you having me! Now I’ll be looking at picking up dog poop in an entirely new light.
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Lol, Ellen, so true! (Though the filling an empty cup metaphor along with the picking up of the dog poop makes for an…interesting image.)
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😄
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I need more boredom in my life. If my work computer takes too long to save a file, I reach for my phone, and suddenly 10 minutes have gone by and I’ve done nothing. Instead of the 30 seconds I would have lost letting the file save.
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Screens can be such a timesuck without even realizing it, right?
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Ellie, we Chicks are thrilled to have you visit today! I adore the idea of a detective agency on top of a bookstore. And thank you for giving me permission to be bored today. As a virtual only child growing up with no kid neighbors, I spent plenty of time being bored. I couldn’t wait to get to school each day, ha, and I’m sure it explains all the reading, too. But maybe that boredom time led to me being a writer. Hmm…
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I have an only child, so I feel you on how that eagerness for school and friends. Here’s to the time alone that made you the writer you are today.
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I love that you wrote about something that your imagination led you to do based on a theory about your house! I should try that this summer with my daycare kids. I have a hard time getting them to read, so maybe a project like this will inspire them to write! Thank you 😊
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Boredom makes you think more since you are idle and not really doing anything.
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It’s been so long since I’ve been well and truly bored! But your post made me miss it! I do too good a job of reaching for entertainment (usually in digital form) to let my mind wander. And man, your post brought back so many memories of being a kid and trying to invent mysteries to solve. No wonder we became mystery writers! Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today!
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Boredom usually inspires me to want to try new things, such as trying a new recipe, or to do something I haven’t done recently, such as going book shopping.
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I don’t equate boredom with what you describe. Boredom, for me, is sitting around not wanting or being motivate to do anything. What you describe is, for me, *being.* Unplugging. Taking time to appreciate what is around you without the need for external stimuli.
But whatever you call it, you’re right: it’s a great energizer for creativity and not enough people do it.
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