You’ve heard the story that, after an extensive study, a scientist proclaimed there was no valid reason a bumblebee could fly? It turns out the study was completed in 1934, and there have been one or two advances in the field of aeronautical engineering since then. Shout it from the rooftops: “Science proves bumblebees CAN fly.”
This morning, I saw a bumblebee in our yard bouncing from stem-to-stem. When its little body landed atop one blossom, the branch swayed way down, almost to the ground. But, instead of flying away, it stayed aboard and vibrated its tiny wings just little harder.
I admit it, I’m curious; I did a little research on this intrepid insect.
- Bumblebee nests may be underground, in abandoned mouse holes, or bird boxes – any place that’s dark and quiet.
- If you robbed a bumblebee nest, it would yield only get a few ounces of honey. In comparison, if you harvest the honey from only a few frames of honeybee comb, your output would be closer to a gallon.
- Bumblebees pollinate some plants that honeybees can’t, including tomatoes, Brazil nuts, cactus, and eggplant.
- The name, bumblebee, means “clumsy.” (They don’t seem to care.)
So why is a writer like a bumblebee?
- A writer should be a writing machine, even if when if the product crashes-and-burns. Remember: just flap a little harder and hang on.
- Writer’s lairs are usually in the unused, forgotten, dusty parts of the house. However, writing dens belonging to the species, published author, tend to be gorgeous and well-lit.
- All writers may not produce the same amount of honey (or money), but all writers must write.
- All forms of writing are valid. Novellas, short stories, articles and flash fiction can be as compelling as full-length novels.
- If an online reviewer, from the genus trollus, calls your work “clumsy,” ignore them. The data needed to make that determination won’t be available until you’ve left this earth. In the meantime, write like a bumblebee.
Writers of the world, let’s make this our rally cry: “Bumblebees CAN fly!”
Eh, maybe not.
~*~
When Angela Arndt is not watching bumblebees or robbing honey bee hives, she enjoys writing mysteries set in small Southern towns. Coincidentally, she, her husband, and their three very large dogs (a lab mix, Staffordshire terrier, and a 12-pound poodle) live in the middle of a big wood outside a small Southern town. She would love for you to visit her website, or Seriously Write, her team blog.