Peculiar lessons about writing, curiosity, and serendipity by the magical author

“If you don’t believe in magic, you’ll never find it.” — Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl is hands down the author who had the most influence on me when I grew up. I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve read Matilda, The Witches and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

His worlds filled with wonder, childlike curiosity, and what it means to be different are mesmerizing to me.

He believed in magic. Truly. Without believing in magic, he said, he couldn’t have become a writer. What does he mean by this? I think to him magic lies in our imagination. While we’re unable to wave a wand and cast Wingardium Leviosa, we can picture what would happen if we did in our mind.

To me, imagination is one of the most powerful qualities we humans possess.

Earlier this week, I stumbled upon a 2016 BBC documentary about Roald Dahl’s life. I loved it and feverishly made notes. Not only did he share with us the most amazing stories, but he also left us writers with invaluable wisdom. Here are some tips on writing and creativity that are as odd and unique as the man who brought us The BFG, The Gremlins, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.

#1: Where ideas come from

In the documentary, there’s an interviewer asks Roald where ideas come from. Dahl: “ideas come from tiny germs and you rattle it around and hope for the best and build up a story.”

At the start of term in school, when Dahl was young, he got a cardboard box with twelve chocolate bars. Upon opening the box and examining its contents, Dahl couldn’t help but wonder what was hiding behind all these bars. His family explained that he had a fascination with chocolate.

So he rattled ideas around as he did. And then, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory came to life.

Willy Wonka was based on himself, his daughter says in the documentary. He based him on his favorite characteristics about himself.

Sometimes one doesn’t need to look far for a good idea. If you have a curious mind and pay attention to your surroundings, you will find a story in everything. And then it’s up to you to bring it alive, kick it around, examine it and see what personal touch you can add to the story.

He kept an idea book with him all the time. This is something I do as well. I keep a note document on my phone which is packed with story ideas, pieces of dialogue, quotes, character sketches, etc. As a writer, I think it’s imperative that one keeps an idea book of sorts.

Dahl loved to keep a list of names with him. Peculiar names of course. Names of fellow soldiers for instance. Another unusual thing he did was keeping a list of made-up words. Oddly, the inspiration for some of his gibberish came from his first wife, Hollywood actress Patricia Neal, after she suffered from a stroke and worked on getting her speech back.

“Obviously the spark for the idea has got to come from something you see or something you hear.” — Roald Dahl.

#2: Let serendipity find you

Don’t you just love that word? Serendipity. There’s magic in it. Quite literally. Especially if you consider how Roald Dahl became a published writer in the first place.

Dahl only considered the profession of becoming a writer rather late in life, in his late twenties.

It wasn’t until the writer C.S. Forester wanted to interview him about his experience as a soldier. Forester wrote down notes while eating roast duck during their lunch, which didn’t go hand in hand. Dahl suggested to write down his thoughts himself and hand it to him later that day. The thing was, Dahl wrote the entire piece. Surprised but taken by the young Dahl, Forester published the story in full. And there it was, Dahl’s first published piece.

Sometimes there is this moment in time where everything comes together. It can wait for you on every corner and in the most unexpected way. Think about that when you’re hustling every day, but aren’t progressing as fast as you want. Let go. Rely on hope and hard work. Continue where others finish. Engage in conversations with strangers. Find yourself in circumstances outside of your comfort zone. You never know where things might lead to.

I want to share one more fascinating Dahl story about serendipity here. After Dahl’s book, The Gremlins was made into a motion picture by Walt Disney, Dahl found himself in America. He was invited by Eleanor Roosevelt because she liked his work. He met F.D. Roosevelt and developed a good rapport with him. This relationship would become crucial as it was Dahl who helped Winston Churchill get on with FDR. What if Roald Dahl never became a writer? Would America have helped Churchill end World War II?

#3: Explore

After World War I, Roald wanted a job that would bring him to exotic places. He traveled to Africa by boat to work for Shell. He studied the people who were different than him. He studied wildlife and nature.

A friend of his, who was a biologist, taught him all about animals. His curiosity and talent for observation resulted in stories like Fantastic Mr. Fox and Danny Champion of the World.

Dahl took inspiration from anything and actively explored the unfamiliar. I often wish I was better at this. I tend to be rather impatient when doing research or diving into a particular subject. However, a new book project came to me recently and the stories are based in history, on the lives of family members and their relationship with some famous people in the early 1900s. About a world-famous painter who painted my great-great-grandparents.

I started to dive in and if I want to do this right, I have to be relentless in my research.

So explore. Bite your teeth in a particular subject. May it be biology, philosophy, or astrology. If you’re knowledgeable about a particular subject you will easily find narratives that will expand your unique voice. If done right, it can be a trait you’re remembered for.

Did you know Dahl was also an inventor? After his son Theo got hit by a car, he developed hydrocephalus. Dahl was always fascinated by medicine. Deadset on rescuing his son, he used the power of his imagination to invent something which could alleviate his son’s pain. Together with two scientists, Dahl invented a valve that could treat his son’s condition. Isn’t that incredible?

#4: Short stories can still put you on the map

Do you remember ‘Tales of the Unexpected’ on the BBC? It was before my time, but my parents told me about it. They watched it every time it was on. My dad cherishes the hope that I will once make something like that with my short stories. (How cool would that be?)

If there is one writer whose short stories are spot-on, hilarious, highly entertaining, unexpected, and packed with wisdom, it’s Roald Dahl’s short stories. I have a collection book filled with all of them at home. My favorite is Parsons Pleasure, about a cunning antique dealer who profits from unexpecting country folk by posing as the president of the Society for the Preservation of Rare Furniture. (You can find the Tales of the Unexpected episode featuring this story on Youtube).

His short story collections are bestsellers and cherished worldwide. Dahl published his stories in different magazines, further fueling his fame as a writer. With his short stories, he entered new alleys of his imagination. He played around with his talent and wrote more stories aimed at adults.

That’s what I’ve used my short stories for too. To develop my writing skills. To introduce my work to readers. To build something. If you intend on writing fiction, give short story writing a go. It will help you find your voice and audience.

#5: On what it takes to be a writer

“Unless you’re a kind of undeveloped adult and you still have an enormous amount of childishness in you and you giggle at funny stories and jokes and things, I don’t think you can do it.” — Roald Dahl

Again, imagination. As we grow up, we sadly lose touch with it. But those who hold onto it are the creators of things. So if you desire to write, you better channel your inner child and put that magic down on paper.

#6: Teach yourself to write anywhere, but keep a favorite spot

Noises, children, vacuum cleaners, Dahl found this utterly distracting. Therefore, he wrote in his little hut in the garden to work undisturbed.

I wonder if he had misophonia like me. I cringe at eating noises, ticking clocks, buzzing electrical devices or construction sounds down the street. On many occasions, I want to slap someone chewing. I don’t of course. I’m sitting here writing this article in my room, wearing earplugs because my roommate is playing a Nintendo game and I’m losing it over the penetrating game sounds. (I know this is a problem).

So my silent writing hut or (soundproof) room is on my wish list for when I grow up.

What are the ideal writing circumstances for you? Try to attain it. However, don’t let it discourage you from writing. If I would’ve waited for my writing hut or room, I’d never written a word. You can teach yourself to write anywhere. I write on planes and trains, in cafés and libraries. If you’re distracted by noises, listen to music. Or listen to calming sounds (I like brain.fm for this).

When you’re able to write anywhere, you produce work. And when you consistently produce work, you will grow.

This is a short interview about his writing habits, writing hut and the mindset to create stories for children.

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