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Margaret talks about
story ideas.
Ideas can unfortunately come at all the wrong times, like
when you’re in the bath, for instance, or just before going to sleep at night.
I always keep a pad by my bed, writing on it the dark, not always able to
decipher my scribblings afterwards. Or you might get an idea while taking your
dog for a walk, so pad and pencil in your pocket, or a tiny voice recorder.
Though you might get some strange looks when people see you speaking into it.
Or maybe you’ve already started your book and if, like me,
it’s running around in your head at all times regardless of what you’re doing,
then you must write down these thoughts also. It doesn’t matter if you don’t
use the material but it does matter
if it was something really good and then you forget it. You could use your
mobile/cell phone to record little messages to yourself – though if you were in
the middle of dinner in a classy restaurant and there was a sudden lull in
conversation at the exact moment you spoke it could prove embarrassing,
especially if you said something like “They need to make love.” As writers we
all know that our work in progress is always circling in our head and we need
to capture those thoughts before they escape.
But where else can we get ideas from? Real life? A new spin
on a film you’ve seen? A newspaper article? An overheard conversation? They’re
everywhere, aren’t they?
Except at that moment when you sit staring at a blank piece
of paper and wonder whether you’re ever going to write another book again!
I get ideas watching or reading the news. People do crazy, wonderful, terrible things that I could never dream up.
ReplyDeleteReading "this day in history" provides a plethora of story ideas.
When I'm stuck on a word or next sentence, standing in the shower works. So does driving on the freeway.
I like people watching, Anna. I do it if I'm sitting in a park. These poor people never know that a little bit of them might appear in a book one day! The trouble with getting ideas while driving is that you can't write them down and if you're like me ideas have a way of flying off into thin air.
DeleteI get my best ideas when I'm either daydreaming or out and about. Most important of all, I need to be away from the computer.
ReplyDeleteIt's unfortunate isn't it that we get ideas away from the computer. If we remember them its OK but like I've just said to Anna they have a way of disappearing. At least they do for me.
DeleteI'm seriously thinking of buying a voice recorder for the times when I can't write something down e.g. when I'm driving.
ReplyDeleteGood idea, Paula. I did buy a voice recorder once but I didn't like the sound of my own voice so I rarely used it. But I agree it could be very useful when you're driving.
DeleteI get my best ideas usually right before I fall asleep or while walking the dog. Sometimes I'll get an idea from something I see on TV. I have a dictation app on my phone that I talk into while I'm walking (it looks like I'm talking on the phone) or I rush to my computer and jot it down.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of a dictation app on your phone. It sounds like something worth looking in to.
DeleteI also keep a pad of paper next to my bed for those late night bursts of inspiration. And, yep, there have been some mornings where I have no idea what I've written.
ReplyDeleteDriving is another time ideas tend to pop up when there's not much you can do about it.
I gave up trying to jot notes half asleep. I never could decipher them in the morning.
ReplyDelete