A friend recently shared this video titled <em>Neglected Ducks Get Their First Swim</em> from Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. Great music, btw.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrPajlIsKd0&amp;w=560&amp;h=315]

My first thought after watching the ducks repeatedly turn away from the water was that we writers are sometimes like those hoarded ducks-afraid to test new waters with our writing.

When was the last time you tried to write
<ul>
	<li>a different genre</li>
	<li>a short story if you normally write novels</li>
	<li>a novel if you normally write short stories</li>
	<li><span style="color:#444444;line-height:23px;">a blog instead of just reading blogs</span></li>
	<li><span style="color:#444444;line-height:23px;">a tweet - </span><span style="color:#444444;line-height:23px;">now that will test your skill</span></li>
	<li>a 1st person POV if you usually write 3rd person POV</li>
	<li>a <span style="color:#444444;line-height:23px;">3rd person</span> POV if you usually write  <span style="color:#444444;line-height:23px;">1st person </span>POV</li>
</ul>
To me the pond in the video represents possibilities for our writer creativity. If we'd only venture forth and test the waters more, I think we'd see brave new worlds open up for our muse.

Did you notice how much fun those ducks were having once they took the plunge?

And who knows, we might find we like writing something new and different more than what we're comfortable writing.

<strong>YOUR TURN:</strong> Have you ever written something out of your comfort zone? How'd it feel?