It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's the posting day for the Insecure Writer's Support Group! Click here to learn more and sign up!
Pretty rude of the first Wednesday sneaking up on me by also being the first day of July. I say that as if I wasn't going to procrastinate anyway and write this late the day before, but still. It was an "oh, crap, that's tomorrow??" kind of moment.
But anyhoo...I do not have an answer for this month's question, so I'm also on my own here deciding on what to write about. Luckily, there is something on my mind. Well, some of the time.
As I've mentioned maybe once or twice, I've had a serious creative block when it comes to writing for the past few years. I have no desire to write anything, whether it's an old idea that needs to be finished, or the very rare new idea that pops into my brain. But not only am I not writing anything, but for the most part, I'm not even thinking about my stories.
But there is a certain place I find my brain actually drifting off into story land and picturing my characters and their stories. And that's when I wake up in the morning.
Now, it's not every single morning. It's only the days where I don't get up for work, where I can just wake up naturally and stay in bed for as long as I want. I get up at 4:45 AM for work, so that usually doesn't give much thinking time between waking and actually getting up. It's when I don't want to get up quite yet, but I can't get back to sleep, either.
Just this morning (Tuesday), actually, I found my brain jumping from different story ideas and watching the scenes play out in my head. It gives me hope that the desire to write is still somewhere in there.
The only problem is taking this thinking time and actually doing something with it. When I'm lying in bed picturing my stories, I actually feel like I want to get up and write. But it's hard to motivate myself to actually do it. By the time I get up and get ready for the day, the thoughts have left my brain. There are other tasks to focus on (even if that task is just watching TV...).
There have been times where I've said to myself, I'm going to do it different today! I'm going to follow the inspiration out of bed and at least LOOK at the story I'm thinking about, try reading it and seeing if I can get back into it. But I never do.
I know the answer is simple. Just immediately get up out of bed and do something! Don't even brush your teeth! Go straight to the laptop and just read or write some stupid stream of consciousness. It's like I need to shake myself on those mornings. Stop letting the inspiration slip away!!
I guess I don't really need advice when the answer seems pretty obvious. But does anyone else have a particular time of day when your stories are on your mind? What do you do to take advantage of that inspiration?
Early morning is my sweet time to write or create. No interruptions except my cat. When the sun comes up, my mind drifts to the day's to-do's. And I love your task of just watching TV. Now I don't feel so guilty.
ReplyDeleteMaybe put your laptop on your nightstand. Then you can write a few lines before you get out of bed. And it's okay if you're busy with other things you must do and enjoy rather than writing.
ReplyDeleteYou know, one of my easiet methods for getting something down when I'm in a rush is a voice memo. I know it doesn't work for everyone, but just to preserve an idea real quick and keep the excitement for later? I think it works.
ReplyDeleteI think you just answered your own question. And a notepad by your bed might help. You can save the ideas without having to get up!
ReplyDeleteI suggest you read Becca Syme's books for authors (she has everything from being stuck to energy management). Maybe some of her advice can help. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHi, Sarah! Since ideas seem to hit me at odd times, I keep sticky notes in several spots to jot an idea down, including by my bed. Good luck! Happy 4th!
ReplyDeleteMaybe keep something handy at your bedside so you can scribble down whatever you're thinking about—or use a voice note app on your phone. I used to have ideas while driving, so I had a micro-cassette recorder thing I kept in the car so I could dictate any thoughts I wanted to remember. And I had bathtub markers in my shower, so I could scribble down ideas on the walls. These days, though, if there are any ideas, it's more of a Mad Mad type free-for-all.
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