Unhinge (verb)

1: To make unstable : Unsettle, Disrupt

2: To remove (as a door) from the hinges

Unhinged (adjective)

1: Upset, Unglued; especially: Mentally deranged

– courtesy Merriam-Webster Online

Things that unhinge:

• A door. As in, “I had to unhinge the door to get the elephant out of the apartment.”
• A boa constrictor’s jaw. As in, “As soon as the boa constrictor unhinged its jaw, I knew I was a goner.”
• A mind, or a person. As in, “She was always such a nice girl, but since she’s decided to be a writer instead of a lawyer, I suppose she has become unhinged.”

What it means for this site:

Telling stories is how we communicate with one another. We get home from work and ask, “how was your day,” fully expecting (and hoping for) an interesting story. We enjoy lectures and speeches in which the speaker is not just dispensing information but spinning a tale that captivates us. We write emails and post to Facebook and Twitter and put our text messages on the Internet because they tell a funny (or embarrassing) little story.

I am fascinated by storytelling in all forms: novels, short stories, movies, television, advertisements, speeches, tweets and facebook posts, really great photos. I’m intrigued by the multitude of “rules” that authors follow when creating a good story, and the rules they break to staggering effect. I want to look at it all, and learn from it. I want to break some rules myself. I’m unhinging my own jaw to swallow the creative world whole, and if that means I’m a little unglued, so be it.

Here’s what you can look forward to on Creatively Unhinged:

• Wacky Themes-of-the-Week
• Ongoing reviews of television shows I probably should have watched while they were on air
• Discussions of the creative process, from the perspective of someone in the middle of it
• Analyses (both in-depth and shallow, so there’s something for everyone!) of movies, books, and anything else that seems to tell a relevant story
• What *you* want to see. Feedback encouraged, especially if you’re nice to me.

Stick around a while, and let’s get unhinged.