on Writers Helping Writers:

Writers tend to think of writing as work. In my experience, the creative process is more akin to play. One of my favorite childhood toys for creative play were those classic Lego bricks. There was something calming about clicking the colorful bricks together, and a sense of satisfaction when the job was done.

Over the years, I went from playing with them constantly to not at all. It wasn’t until 2020 that this changed. I was searching for something to do during lockdown and had heard that when choosing hobbies, you should think back on activities that brought you joy in childhood. Of course, I thought of Lego.

Since then, I’ve become one of countless adult Lego builders. You can find pictures of my builds on Instagram. Often, I’ve joked that the one thing I’d give up writing for is a job as a professional Lego builder. That’s how much I love them. But for me, there are commonalities between the two (and not just because one of my favorite builds to date is a Lego typewriter.) Here are some lessons I’ve learned about storytelling through Lego, that any writer can benefit from.