Monday, June 25, 2012

Desperately Seeking Inspiration

Ever have one of those moments when an idea for a new story hits you. The opening scene is just perfect, the character's voice so real that it seems to whisper in your ear, and you can't help but want to write it down. Now picture where you are when this occurs. Is it in the shower? Are you in your warm bed, snuggled in with the blanket, the promise of sleep just moments away? Or perhaps you're driving your kids to school, and you know that writing and driving isa no-no, but you want to rationalize it anyway.

Welcome to my world. Writing inspiration can be inconvenient at times, no matter how great the idea is. And for the most part, it's during those inconvenient moments that ideas come to me. Maybe it's because your mind is at ease and you're not really trying to get something down. But when I plop down on the couch with my handy dandy laptop, inspirations seems to be chased away. NOT. COOL.

I'm going to try deep breathing meditation type exercises from now on when I try to write. You know, the whole 'close your eyes, think of your happy place, open your mind to new possibilities' bit. Maybe it'll work. But I think in the end I'll just fall asleep, face on keyboard. Here's hoping something works, so I can get to the core of my current WIP.

10 comments:

  1. Hi, Prerna! I'm a new follower.

    Yes, inspiration can strike at the most inconvenient of times. It's really screwed with my sleep. :)

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  2. Good luck! I always find inspiration when I'm in bed, and I know I'll forget it if I don't write it down immediately. So inconvenient!

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  3. It sounds like you need a recorder at your fingertips to record when a good idea or dream enters 'stage right'. Once you get the bones down.. then worry about how you are going to fill in with the veins and living tissue :)
    Inspiration will always find you.
    Jillian
    http://puzzlemecomplete.blogspot.com/

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  4. Yes, inspiration comes at odd times. How awesome that you got a new idea for a book. Don't wait until you finish your current WIP, start something else if the inspiration comes. It's easier to juggle two projects than you might think.

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  5. This is EXACTLY what I'm going through! So cool that you're doing meditation to help. When I'm in front of my laptop, there's nothing. When it's time for bed, a floodgate opens. I'm glad we can keep each other posted with this :)

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  6. Inspiration is tricky like that! Everyone says carry around a notebook, but sometimes that isn't plausible. Good luck and I hope the meditation works.

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  7. I totally sympathise with the inspiration just as I'm about to sleep issue! I think I will remember in the morning but... I don't. I have taken to making myself little notes on the notes app on my iphone, which helps.

    New follower, btw, relatively new blogger seeking cool people to connect with so have followed you!

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  8. Emily: welcome! And it screws with my sleep too. Sometimes I'm not a good sport about it.

    Meredith: I need to be better about writing it down.

    Jillian: That's a great idea! Now I just need to go buy a recorder.

    Julie: Thanks for the vote of confidence. I am following your advice and working on the one that is calling my the most.

    Saumya: here's hoping meditation works. It's stil up for debate.

    Christine: I've heard the notebook thing many times, I used to swear by it. But what do you do when you're driving or running around without one? Frustrating.

    VikLit: Welcome to the blogosphere. Hope you're enjoying yourself. I sometimes jot down ideas in a journal. But like I said, that's not always possible depending on the situation. And when I do get to a pen and paper I can't remember what it was I wanted to write!

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  9. I've been known to pull over on the road and fling ideas onto my phones notepad. I've also found out if I say it aloud a few times, I can recall it later. Beware, people will look at you like you're crazy as you chant your idea.

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  10. I know, right? Inspiration always seems to hit when I'm in the shower or bath. I keep my trusty pad and pen handy at all other times, because ideas are precious - they fly out of your mind as quickly as they enter.

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