The Thing about Bunnies

6:00 AM

AS PROMISED: a post on bunnies.

Aren't I a good little blogger? Look at me, keeping my word on what I post. I promised you guys a happier post, and here you are! ENOUGH ABOUT DEAD BUTTERFLIES.

Now we have ...

BUNNIESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


(just in case you didn't know, bunnies are my favorite animal so I might go a little crazy with bunny love in this post. asking forgiveness in advance.)

LOOK AT THE RUNNING LITTLE BUNNY!!!!!!!!!! ISN'T IT ADORABLE???

Wait don't leave! I promise this is writing related.

You've all heard the phrase, "rabbit trails" right? Or, "plot bunnies"? So you're sitting there typing ever so slowly on this idea you've been working on for three stinkin' years ... and your hands just don't want to move and your brain is mush and what do you even like about this story anyway? The MC is soooo dull. The plot is sooooo dull. Everything about this story seems sooooo dull and you're sick and tired of it and struggling not to just print out your whole document and burn it. (just deleting it on the computer wouldn't be satisfying enough, lets face it.)

And then, all of a sudden ... A BUNNY! LOOK AT IT.


It's running hard, and if you don't throw everything down right this second, it's going to get away. And it's so cute and fluffy and adorable and exciting ... how can you not toss aside your WIP and race after it?

And so you do. You close your doc and pull up a new one and stop that bunny in its tracks. It's a little slippery and challenging to snare, but once you've got it you're all the more satisfied with it. It's snuggled up in your arms and it's SO STINKIN' CUTE.

paradiiiiiiiise

You've caught the little ball of fluffy delightfulness, and you've got your cup of coffee and your notebook and you're scribbling frantically and getting ink on your hands and lots of cramps and it's just so wonderful and new. You've caught it! It's so exciting, this new idea. Any thought of your WIP is long gone. That poor project is lost in the chase of the new, lively bunny.

And then, once you have about one little page of hastily scribbled notes, your conscious kicks in.

You were supposed to write 2k words today, drat. And you're behind from yesterday's goal, too. You need to grind out 4k, or else you'll lose the steam you've been keeping up since the beginning of the month. You're determined to finish the draft before nanowrimo in the fall so you can take a break and write something new and fresh.

So you get up. You leave your new little bunny and you sit your butt down and you begin to write.

But the bunny isn't done with you yet.

what are you doing
It perks up when you get out of bed, and it watches in bewilderment as you return to your old book.

Nope. It's not having that.

YOU MUST WRITE ME, MORTAL
It comes right up next to you and sticks it little nose in your face and says, YOU MUST WRITE ME.

Your hands falter on the keys and you bite your lip, torn with indecision. You can't think about your WIP anyway ... so maybe you could just pull up the doc/journal page for your new idea and ...

Thirty minutes later, you snap out of it. It's ten oclock! You have to hit your word count. So you go back to your WIP and you set the timer for twenty minutes and you WILL NOT STOP FOR ANYTHING. The house could catch fire, your little brother could come running in with a pirahnha clinging to his nose, or all your stuffed animals could come to life and began playing duck duck goose in a circle around you, but you refuse to budge.

You will finish this.

The bunny is angry you've left it again. He sticks his face in yours once more and growls, WHY YOU NO WRITE ME.

LET ME LOVE YOU

The clock ticks on and so do you. The bunny goes ignored.

The bunny isn't happy. The bunny is sad. His angry steam isn't working, so he decides to take a new tactic.

but ... why can't you write me?
Your fingers are faltering at the fluffy, pitiful ball of pure cuteness, but you have to get this done. You've got to get up early tomorrow, so you need to go to bed at a sane hour. YOU MUST GET TO WORK.

Through sheer willpower, you ignore the adorable creature hovering over your shoulder and grind out your 4k. They stink though. They're so forced, and you don't know what to do about it. But they're words, and you'll have to settle for them.

The rest of the week is much the same. Every time you turn around, the bunny is there. Sometimes furiously demanding, sometimes slightly sad.

why you no love me
Finally, come Saturday when you're supposed to write 10k, you can't take it anymore. You slam your fist down and say, "WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? I CAN'T JUST ABANDON MY WIP!"

The bunny doesn't care. He stands there watching you, head tilted, whiskers quivering. That's when you know you've got to do something. You can't just ignore it.

But what do you do? What do you do when that amazing, new, tempting idea is lurking and prodding and making all the words you put into your WIP forced and terrible, because your heart has shifted and you don't feel the love for it in that moment?

The key is to get the bunny to quiet down for a while. You've got to lull the fluff-ball to sleep. Then it won't lurk, it won't follow you around, and it won't fluff up adorably and give you the big baby eyes, distracting you from what you need to be working on.

Now you know what you need to do. But ... how do you lull the rabbit to sleep?

Writing and time. That's the only thing you can do. You open the doc/journal for the new idea and you let yourself get lost in its fresh, beautiful wonder for just a day or two. You make a map. You come up with the names of your characters. You get a vague idea for the plot.

Now that you're paying attention, the bunny doesn't have to work so hard to be noticed. He can relax a bit. Snuggle up.

getting sleepy

You're so close. It's been three days since you've left your WIP. But just a bit longer ... just this last plot point you want to get down and then ...

the bunny is out

Awwwww he's asleep! FINALLY! Like a mother with her whiny newborn, you slip out of your chair and gently pick the baby up, praying you don't wake him. You carry the little rabbit to a bundle of blankets where you tuck him to sleep for a good long while. Hopefully.


The bunny is fast asleep now, and you go back to your WIP feeling refreshed from your small break. It actually helped to think about another idea, and you plunge back into the old one with renewed vigor.

Like that mother with the baby, you only have a certain amount of time before you hear the crying that means your free time is up. The bunny will wake, but hopefully he'll sleep longer than a baby would. In the meantime, you can write on your WIP undisturbed (for the most part).

~~~

I don't get a lot of book ideas (about one every month or so) but when I do, they are massive, beautiful bunnies that demand my attention, usually for several days. Once I stop ignoring them and give them the time and attention they want, they usually quiet down and I can go back to my WIP after those few days of indulgence. I'm going to write this story eventually, anyway. The time is not wasted. It's good to take a break and have fun with a new idea for a while.

Can you relate to this? Do you get lots of book ideas? What do you do when a plot bunny is lurking? 

*Just to let you know, I am on a retreat currently and will not be back till late Sunday, so I will be slow in replying to comments. Thank you for taking the time to read this! I love you all!*
<3

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44 comments

  1. And again, Hannah nails the topic about a relatable thing and shares her incredible wisdom and talent with words with all of us!

    This post was awesome. I don't think I said yet that you have talent and wisdom. *HIGH-FIVE, MAMA HANNAH*

    And WOW, you get a lot of story ideas! I have several, but they're all reeeeaaally vague. :P

    (oh, and as I was reading this post, my sister walked by and was like, "why are you looking at pictures of guinea pigs," and I said, "they're actually plot bunnies," and she just looked at me weird. xD)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Emily, you are so sweet! <3 *jump-high fives*

      PLOT BUNNIES YES. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE, EMILY'S SISTER. DO NOT BE CONFUSED. THEY'RE AN ACTUAL CREATURE

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  2. Oh, I loved this!!! So, so , SO true!! Infuriatingly true, but true. xD
    ALL THOSE CUTE SWEET BUNNIES! I love bunnies. And those pictures were just so adorable! :D

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    1. Hehe infuriatingly true, yup. XP And all the pictures were from Pinterest (which you probably guessed). I think I forgot to mention that!

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  3. I RELATE TO THIS SO FLIPPIN HARD HANNAH I SERIOUSLY FEEL LIKE YOU'RE READING MY MIND.

    I get wayyy to many new ideas, and I'm also struggling to finish my WIP which just seems so dull and boring but it's actually going really good right now AND THANK YOU FOR THIS POST P.S.BUNNIES ARE THE BESTEST

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    1. RIGHT? I LOVE THEM. They are adorable but distracting. You've got this on your WIP! It's okay to play with the bunnies a bit, though. Give them enough attention so that they will leave you alone for a time and then ATTACK THE WIP WHILE THEY SLEEP!

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  4. THIS POST WAS SO FULL OF CUTENESS AND HAPPINESS AND I'M DEAD

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  5. This was probably the most clever post I have ever read. And it's SO TRUE YAS
    I LOVE BUNNIES SO MUCH! I'm so glad somebody else shared my sentiments. :)

    Great post, Hannah!! ♥

    ~Megan <333
    (megans-journals.blogspot.com)

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    1. You're so sweet, Megan! <3 I'M SO GLAD EVERYONE LOVES BUNNIES TOO THEY ARE THE MOST ADORABLE EVER.

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  6. THE PICTURES OF BUNNIES HERE ARE SO ADORABLE. *clears throat* Now that's out of the way... I am attacked by hordes of plot bunnies almost daily, especially during World History in school. I keep track of them on my phone, and it's all neatly stored in one long note divided per genre.

    The thing is though, I never seem to attract fantasy bunnies. I'd love to, but all I am getting now are paranormal/gothic bunnies that are weirder than you'd think :P

    This was such a cute post I am going to reread it again to soak up it's brilliance!!! I love how your posts put a spin to everyday writer things.

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    1. HISTORY YESSSSS. THAT'S THE BEST FOR PLOT BUNNIES. And also geography, because WORLD BUILDING. *aggressively loves world building*

      Do you read much fantasy? Have you ever written a fantasy?

      Thank you so much! You are so sweet <3 <3 <3

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  7. THIS POST IS SO CUUUUUUTE <3

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    1. Thank you Petra! *whispers* My next post will be even cuuuuterrrrr *wiggles eye brows and winks conspicuously*

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  8. Replies
    1. What kind? ;P I wish I had a legit pet bunny. *sniffles* They are the cutest ever.

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  9. This was fun to read, Hannah. You described that situation well, and the bunny photos are really cute. :) Do you have a pet rabbit? Because, they are just as cute in real life, baby rabbits especially. :)

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    1. I'm glad! *beams* Sadly I do not. I have had one before though, which I raised from just three weeks old and had to bottle feed. IT WAS SO WONDERFUL. (I got him through my cousin, whose bunnies had lotsa babiessss) Do you have one?? I LOVE BUNNIES SO MUCH. Watch me have like, twenty of them when I am an adult. I will live in a cottage in the woods and own twenty bunnies and my only "cups" will be coffee mugs. #lifegoals

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  10. This is brilliant! XD
    Whenever plot bunnies sneak into my life I have to entertain them for a couple days (like you) otherwise I will feel immensely guilty for all the sad faces they make at me. :D

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    1. EXACTLY. I had an especially needly plot bunny last month when I was editing for a deadline and it was horrible because I HAD to crack down for the deadline because OPPORTUNITIES but that plot bunny was just soooooo intense and adorable and pitiful and demanding. *sighs and shakes head* I have several pages on it, a Pinterest board, and a playlist now. IT WOULD NOT GIVE UP. XP

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  11. So much yes. LOL! I get ideas all of the time, but what I hate most is when I don't have anything in mind particularly, but I just want to write something NEW! It's so frustrating, because I know I have to stick to my WIP or else it'll be forgotten and will never be finished.
    *sigh*
    I loved this post, and seriously? The bunnies? ADORABLE!:D
    -Emma-

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    1. SAAAAAAME. I wrote on the same book for four years straight and by the time I realized that it was time to put it down, the idea was just soooooooooooo old. I didn't have a particular bunny in mind, but I had a whole folder of them to choose from. New is so wonderful, but there is a price you pay. *sighs sadly at old WIP*

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  12. DIS IS SO TWUE! YOU ARE AMAZING!
    I have these alllll the time...

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    1. THE STRUGGLE IS REAL, MAN. *sighs and gives comforting pat*

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  13. Aww, aren't they cute. Good thoughts too.

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  14. I can absolutely relate to this, I'm currently in the process of attempting to write a novel and it's very hard to stay on track! My mind is constantly running over new plots so I've been trying to incorporate them into my current story rather than abandon it and start a new one... *crosses fingers*
    I loved reading this, Hannah!

    Lauren ♥ | Sincerely, Lauren Emily

    P.S. I know this is slightly random, but your blog title is gorgeous. There's something very comforting about the thought of ink blots and coffee stains!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Aw that' so sweet! Both of those things occur quite often in my life, and I loved the sound of them together, so ... Vwala! :D

      It is so hard, but so worth it. You've got this! <3

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  15. HANNAH. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. ALL. THE. BUNNIES!!!! *can't get over the cutest and epic-ness of this post* I hope you don't mind if I share this post on my blog, because I must! XD

    Oh my goodness, YES I can relate to this! I'm a wee bit jealous of any writer who can't XD. And I TRY to ignore the bunny, but I end up using your tactic half the time - pay attention just so that it'll fall asleep. Love this post!

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  16. Of course I don't mind! That makes me happy you like it so much :D But like, I didn't know you have a blog??? CAN YOU LINK ME TO IT PLEASE?? I want to follow youuuu <3 (I tried clicking on your name but it doesn't show your blog and that's how I usually find them)

    But yes, lulling to sleep is the best tactic I've found so far. It does take some time, but it's worth it in the long run! XP

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    1. YES I LOVETH IT SO MUCH XD. And not many people actually know I have a blog, since it's private. But I'd be happy to invite you if you email my mom (theperrans AT cox DOT net)!

      OR you can write about the new fluffy plot bunny until you've killed your poor fingers and then it STILL wants you to write more of it. ... yeah, that happens to me half the time XD. We need to find a magic food to feed them so they'll quite pestering us *nods*. I tried carrots, but it doesn't work *sigh*.

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    2. Aw yay! I will do that <3

      And I feel that ugh. There was one particular idea recently that had me by the throat and my poor fingers could hardly take it. CARROTS ARE DECEIVING THEY HAVE FAILED US. Maybe coffee beans? Those are quite magical ... ;P

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  17. THIS IS SO RELATABLE I CAN ONLY SHRIEK. Like 100% yes. This is how it is to live with the bunnies. I generally tangle with at least 3 bunnies at once (but I binge-write so I don't actually get bunnies while writing thank goodness.😂) And I kind of just think about them A TON and write out the outlines and make a pinterest and sure enough, that little bunny takes a nap and stops screaming at me. #winning

    Although sometimes I wonder if they're like not bunnies...more like PLOT ORCS THAT WANT TO EAT MY BRAIN UNLESS I PAY ATTENTION TO THEM. 😂

    The appreciation for bunny photos in this post is also HIGHLY WONDERFUL.

    Thanks for stopping by @ Paper Fury!

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    1. PLOT ORCS AHHHHAHAHA YES. UGH. That is a much more fitting name (at least for some of them) Thank you for the bunny appreciation XP YOU'RE SO LUCKY YOU DON'T USUALLY GET THEM WHILE WRITING THOUGH AHHHH. Teach me your ways!

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  18. OMG OMG OMG THE BUNNIES I'M SCREAMING *flails so much* bunnies are my favorite i cannot even with them xD AND YES THIS IS SO RELATABLE THIS IS A REAL STRUGGLE BECAUSE THE BUNNY *DEMANDS* TO BE NOTICED AND PET AND LOVED ON SO YOU JUST HAVE TO DO IT xD

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    1. *flails with you* I LOVE BUNNIES TOO AREN'T THEY JUST THE MOST ADORABLE LITTLE THINGS EVER?!?!?! THEY MUST HAVE THEIR ATTENTION

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  19. I tagged you Hannah...if you're interested, here's the link: http://4rmeddy.blogspot.com/2016/08/another-writing-tag.html
    No pressure...but it WOULD be fun to see your answers. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw thank you, Rebekah! I'll check it out <3

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  20. ACK, THIS IS ADORABLE AND RELATABLE! I mean, those bunnies, though. THEY SO CUTE! *hugs them* Wait...they're just trying to deceive me with their adorableness. *pushes them away* I won't be fooled that easily. XP

    This happens to me sometimes, but usually my plot bunnies are fairly well-trained. They stay in their pen for the most part. ;D I don't really get a whole lot of plot bunnies, but I do get some story bunnies. They're bundles of fluffy vagueness. XD

    SUCH A FUN POST! I'm dying of the adorableness that is the bunnies. <333

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    1. *cracks knuckles* I will resist! Little bundle of ... *crumbles and snuggles creature* << that's usually how it goes for me XP I'm just not stern enough *sigh*

      Thanks for reading! I'm glad you dropped by Stan! :D

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  21. I have about ten bunnies at once! I love them all.

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    1. They are so adorable and precious yesyes *hugs all the bunnies*

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  22. I really liked the bunny analogy. And those pictures were so cuute. Ugh, my heart. And I'm not even an animal person.

    Well, it's time to wake up my bunny.

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