Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Light Bulb

Get this: I sluggishly entered my bedroom. Flicking off the light, my feet felt their way to bed, then I flopped down on the mattress. I snuggled up into my chilled blankets, hoping they'd warm up super fast. Finding a comfortable position, my mind started its usual jumping from one thing to the next. Then...

*BAM* *POW* *POOF*

One word popped into my head. I'm not gonna tell you which one, though. Yeah, yeah. I'm mean. But a writer has to be secretive. Anyway, this one single word sparked an idea for a book that made my mind start exploring all of the different ways I could develop a story upon it. One vein of thought led to the next until I was writing down what was spewing rapidly from my mind. 

Afterward, my heart raced fast and my brain felt like it wanted to pop right out of my skull to figure where this book could take its journey. With such intensity filling my chest to all four of my limbs, I got up to write a post about my experience. 

This leads me to share some wisdom which I found incredibly important during this whole creative process. 

That being: Write out your thoughts the moment (yes, the very second) you have an idea. Yes, even if it's only ONE word that triggers something you get so excited about you could run a marathon. Ok, that's taking it a little too far. But, you know what I mean.

Writing out your thoughts may help you develop that simple word into something miraculous. Of course, the next step is to actually draft out a plot, world, and characters to fill up the lines of the page. But folks, the brilliant IDEA is alive.

Gah! This has been such an exhilarating and creative opportunity I just couldn't pass up writing a post about. I hope my meager advice is helpful.

Now, what is your advice to find ideas to build a story upon?


Writing. Jewels.

3 comments:

  1. Oh, I love that moment. I've had a couple of them and it's the most exhilarating rush ever. That moment when your brain works faster than your fingers. When all you want is sleep but your muse has taken a serious dose of caffeine. It's my favorite part of a draft, the creation. When anything goes and nothing is too wild to be considered.

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  2. That moment is the best part! My hubby looks at me like I've lost my mind when I grab my notebook and pen and begin writing like a mad woman. I've even been known to use the voice recorder on my phone for ideas when I'm somewhere without paper or a notebook. Great post, Jules!!

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