A Beach Blanket Brainstorm (for Writers)

by Abby Alten Schwartz

How I turned Billie Eilish’s BAD GUY to a BEACH BOYS song … in Hawaii surrounded by roosters.

I stumbled across this tweet by Ali Spagnola two months ago and naturally had to click on her video. I was captivated watching Ali transform the edgy “Bad Guy” into a sunny, Beach Blanket Bingoesque song, complete with music video of the final cut. It was hilariously entertaining and, days later, I was still thinking about it.

I’m fascinated by the creative process—not only of my fellow writers, but filmmakers, songwriters, choreographers, photographers, painters…the list goes on. I Googled Ali and learned she is a visual artist, musician (vocals, piano, guitar, drums and more), comedian and digital content creator.

As a writer whose craft was influenced by a career in graphic design and marketing, I wondered if any parts of Ali’s multifaceted approach could be applied to writing as well.

I believe writing is like working out—the more you do it, the stronger you get. Expanding that analogy, drawing inspiration from other art forms is akin to cross-training. You’ll challenge muscles that are used less often and avoid falling into a rut. Speaking of which, Ali is also a fitness influencer, which explains her off-the-charts energy.

I interviewed Ali about her creative process and picked up 5 tips to enhance your writing:

1. Start with the greats. When composing an artist swap like her Billie Eilish-Beach Boys video, Ali studies the musicians she wants to emulate in order to capture a surface impression of their sound. It’s just enough for her audience to recognize the source material while giving her latitude to take it in a new direction.

Writing tip: Hollywood frequently repurposes iconic works (ditto novelists). The key is avoiding a tedious retread. Aim to build on the original framework and illuminate a new perspective. Think: HBO’s Succession, a retelling of King Lear. Try crossing genres and find inspiration in music, dance or art.

• Mix & match. How does Ali choose the pairing when blending two different musical styles? “Honestly, I’m looking for the most unique and interesting outcomes,” she told me. She recently reimagined the R-rated “abcdefu” as a Sesame Street song with puppets, and recorded Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” in the punk rock style of Green Day.

Writing tip: Write a braided piece based on 2–3 random, unrelated topics. Some ideas: a childhood memory, a cultural oddity, a devastating argument, a scene from a movie. Writers are masters at connecting seemingly disparate ideas. It’s one of my favorite elements of writing craft—a literary game of Chopped where you’re tasked with creating a meal from a pomegranate, a handful of peanut M&Ms, the smell of fresh-cut grass and a shot of peach schnapps. The ingredients somehow alchemize into a dish that tastes like your first kiss.

• Embrace the journey. For Valentine’s Day, Ali challenged herself to create a work of sand art from 50,000 crushed candy hearts. Success is never a foregone conclusion with her stunt videos, which is one reason they’re so compelling. Ali’s viewers instead watch as she MacGyvers her way out of miscalculations and mishaps. For her, it’s the journey—not the destination—driving her concepts.

Writing tip: Make writing practice an end unto itself. Draft 10 different attention-grabbing opening lines for your WIP. Write nonstop for 15 minutes to the prompt, “I’ll never forget the sound of X.” Capture a memory entirely in dialogue. Write a journal entry as a character from TV.

• Box yourself in. Ali produces a new video every two weeks, a parameter she set that necessitates getting it done without overthinking it. Ali confirmed, “I’m not one of those people that sits around and waits for the muse.”

Writing tip: Expand creativity by setting limitations. As Ali said, “Writer’s block comes from having infinite possibilities.” Try micro flash. Use only one-syllable words. Eliminate adjectives. Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad, has spoken of how his writers’ room used to paint themselves into a corner each season. Arguably, some of the best writing on television came from that room. 

• Follow your curiosity. Ali constantly pushes herself in new directions. She calls herself a one-person team and when a project requires learning a new instrument, art medium or skill, she eagerly jumps in. Her final word of creative advice: “Follow the fun. Do what you’re passionate about. If you’re not loving what you’re doing and inspired by your work, waking up every day stoked about it, then maybe try and adjust.” 

Writing tip: Rediscover the excitement of beginner’s mind. Take a writing class. Explore a different genre. Experiment with structure. Cross-train your creative brain by taking up ceramics, guitar, knitting, baking, woodworking. Then get out your notebook and start connecting those dots.

For more creative inspiration, check out two of my favorite music documentaries:

• The Wrecking Crew is the story of the legendary L.A. session musicians behind the most iconic albums of the 1960s and ‘70s.
• It All Begins with a Song profiles the songwriting community in Nashville, from famous hitmakers to those still trying for their big break.

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Abby Alten Schwartz is a Philadelphia-based writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Brevity, Hobart, The Manifest-Station, Unbroken Journal and elsewhere. She moonlights as a healthcare copywriter, designer and marketing consultant and once had a column about hooping. The hula kind. Abby is writing a memoir about her journey from hypervigilance to trust. Find her on Twitter @abbys480 or visit abbyaltenschwartz.com.