Every writer experiences those moments when they think they have no more words, no more story ideas, absolutely nothing left inside to say. It's such a bleak feeling—like when you realize the half-and-half has run out, or even worse, it's gone bad and there's a snowstorm outside and you can't get to the store to buy more.
On those writing days, the best thing to do is to sit and scribble, or tap away nonsensical words on the computer, to get the ugly out, or prime the well, or whatever your definition of muse foreplay might be.
All of a sudden, the ideas start shooting towards the surface. You are still filled with disbelief, however, so you try to shove them back down, or you dart to the side, convinced it was a rogue loose cannon. But it's not. It's your subconscious showing off, letting you know there's plenty of life in there.
When this happens, too often we shoo those pesky ideas away, muttering, "Not now, I'm busy".
I've done this way too many times, usually because I have an expectation of when the words are supposed to show up. I wake up some mornings with my brain racing around like a two-year-old who has just consumed a fifty-pound bag of sugar. "Can't you wait til I have some coffee?" I grumble, but it can't.
Other mornings I wake up and it's as if my brain cells have been hit with that mind eraser thing in Men in Black. I can do the basics – get out of bed, stumble to the coffee maker – but ideas? Not even a bad one.
So maybe it's understandable that I am suspicious when there's an outpouring of ideas/words/plots/characters/blog posts. Instead, I should be grateful, and smart, grabbing every single one as it comes zinging through my brain.
Writers are a contrary lot. We cry at not being able to write, and then when we can, we don't. I understand, and empathize, but I'm not going to let us waste another single minute.
When your muse gets the urge, go play. Don't you dare say "Not now, I'm busy". It won't take long before your ideas get the hint. They may not dry up entirely, but it just may take longer before they trust you, and we all know how hard it is to win back trust that has been broken.
I know it's not easy to keep a schedule. I've tried many times and well, I have to keep trying to make that work. One thing I do is always keep an open mind, as well as something to write with. I do my best not to swat away the ideas as they sneak up on me. They get priority. They are doing their job by showing up, and it's my job to write them down.
If not, I only have myself to blame when they go elsewhere.
I think you're so right that we may need to regain the trust of our ideas when we don't interact with them right away. And as for where they go when they go "elsewhere," I'm counting on being able to go there and track them down. LOL
I do often write down and save my ideas for later -- I have to because they always come to me when I'm doing or about to do something else. Or the first meeting with my idea is like strangers meeting on a train. :) I think we're both going in opposite directions and just happen to make eye contact.
By the time I try to write down what would have/could have happened from my glimpse with my idea, sometimes I feel like my idea doesn't recognize me. I guess it's that trust thing. Neither one of us wants to admit we made eye contact because then we'd have a relationship.
And then it gets hard. LOL
I have a hard time keeping a schedule, but I have a feeling the idea is showing up and looking for me too. One of these days we need to exchange home addresses. LOL
Posted by: Melissa | May 08, 2012 at 01:02 PM
Melissa, I love this whole analogy. LOL This is perfect! Maybe you could ask that idea for its phone number, so you can start out by texting, and move up from there. LOL
I'm constantly writing ideas down, and the sad part is when I have a brilliant idea and find out it wasn't the first time the two of us had met. LOL Apparently I'd completely blanked out on it. Which makes me wonder if it's such a good idea after all. :)
Posted by: Donna Cummings | May 08, 2012 at 01:57 PM
Donna, when you've met your idea before and didn't realize it, then maybe this is strong evidence it is the BEST idea! It's meant to be...like the couple that places the personal ad in that song "Do You Like Pina Coladas?" But that song really messes with my head because they were both intending to cheat on each other. LOL
Many of my ideas seem familiar so maybe the ideas we shoo away tend to come back for a second chance. :)
Posted by: Melissa | May 08, 2012 at 06:22 PM
Melissa, I know what you mean about that song! But they did find out how much they needed to know about their partner -- so maybe it's the same way with our ideas. We think we know them, but there's so much more that's hidden from us. :)
Thank goodness the ideas we shoo away come back for a second chance. They're twice as good! LOL
Posted by: Donna Cummings | May 08, 2012 at 07:58 PM
**Thank goodness the ideas we shoo away come back for a second chance. They're twice as good! LOL **
I think that the concept of reincarnation applies to ideas. Shooing them away causes them to die temporarily. They are then reborn in slightly different form. The cycle continues until the idea mutates sufficiently to reach the state of Nirvana.
Nirvana is acceptance into your story. LOL
Posted by: Quantum | May 09, 2012 at 04:41 PM
Q, I think that's an incredible idea. I like it! So I'm not *forgetting* things, I'm giving them a chance to have a rebirth, so they can reach Nirvana. Wow. That makes me feel so much better! :)
Posted by: Donna Cummings | May 09, 2012 at 08:06 PM