Did you know that a writer’s mind rarely ever stops? It’s true. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember—stories, diaries, journals, letters—you name it. And as I got older, the stories in my head never quieted down.
You might think that’s a good thing, and often it is. It fuels creativity and keeps new ideas flowing. But honestly? It can also drive you a little crazy. My brain never shuts off. Story ideas pop up when I’m trying to fall asleep, when I wake up, in the shower… even during the most mundane moments (yes, even while pooping!).
Right now, I have about six stories partially written. I keep notebooks everywhere to jot down ideas as they come. Then, when I finally get a chance to sit down and write, I piece everything together.
One evening, I was curled up in my favorite chair with a glass of wine and my laptop (where else would it be but on my lap, right?). I opened one story to add some notes, then switched to another—and that’s when it hit me. I realized some of these ideas could actually blend together into one story. That “aha!” moment made me see that just because I have six half-written drafts doesn’t mean I’ll end up with six separate books. Sometimes ideas overlap and merge, and suddenly—bam!—you’ve got something amazing.
If you’re a writer, I’d love to know: are your ideas constantly swirling too? How do you handle them? Do you outline, jot down notes, or just dive in and go with the flow?
What a great discovery!
ReplyDeleteNot a writer, but I have had good story ideas pop into my head usually while I’m in the middle of something or as a dream and I never get to write them down. Then of course I forget what they are.
ReplyDeleteEven while pooping" OMG. you crack me up. Love it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really a writer of books but I do write mini devotionals on my blog and the way I approach is once I've read the Scripture and meditated on it, (or whatever the devotional is gonna be...sometimes Scripture doesn't inspire me but being out in nature does especially on a mountain hike). If it's Scripture, I mark it, or jot it down and then bullet style main points that pop into my head on whatever scrap paper I see lying around. If i'm on a mountain or the beach, I use the Notes app on my iphone to jot stuff down. then I just sit at my Macbook laptop and just write. (once I'm finally home or have time).