JB's June Writing Challenge: C is for ... Curiosity

The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.
-- Dorothy Parker (attributed), US author, humorist, poet, & wit (1893 - 1967)

Curiosity [according to Webster's]: n., 1. a desire to learn 2. inquisitiveness

I love this word. Aren't we, as writers, always asking, What if ...? This is the stuff our stories are made of. It is our curiosity that makes us ask the questions, and then go and find the answers.

1. I like to learn. I continually learn things--I revel in the concept that you learn something new every day, because I do. Every. Day. Everyone does. Think over your day. You learned something new today, didn't you? Maybe you didn't glean any earthshattering information. But maybe you learned that your neighbor across the street goes to your parents' church. Maybe you learned that one of your coworkers at the day job is related to someone else you've known for years. Maybe you learned that your favorite local grocery is having a sale on avocadoes. (Maybe you learned how to spell avocadoes.)

The point is, even if it's something tiny, something you wouldn't think twice about, you did learn something new. And chances are, that learning either satisfied some bit of curiosity within you, or it sparked one. If you write, you learn how to focus that curiosity into what becomes your story--you ask what if and then research until you find the answer.

2. Have you ever known a child who is overly inquisitive? Writers, have you ever written an inquisitive child into one of your stories? You know how they ask those endless questions? Do you find them annoying or adorable? I'd have to ask my mother whether I was one of those children--I probably was, being the (to quote JKR) "insufferable know-it-all" that I am. To be blunt, I don't see the point, really, in not being inquisitive. How else will you learn? (See #1.)

Until tomorrow--"D" day. I hope to post the "D" essay earlier in the day, as I'm off from the day job. (I also hope that other writing will be done, but that remains to be seen, as the WGH is off from his day job, too, and always manages to come up with joint projects the two of us have to tackle together.)

So, what did you learn today? Did it satisfy your curiosity?

If you think the answer to that is no, I have a solid gold piece of advice for you: Read a book.