Here’s one of the top questions writers ask themselves:
Why can’t we keep a mental grip on all those great ideas that float through our minds every day?
It seems there’s a slippery nature to inspiration — one we may not have known about or prepared ourselves for. Until it happens.
Here’s an example: You’re out having dinner with friends, or picking up groceries, or waiting in the drive-through for coffee. You see or hear something really interesting — even juicy.
And a story idea begins to form.
You can’t wait to get home, open your computer, stretch your fingers, and get to work. Except the details, logic, and follow-through have escaped you.
What the hell?
Here’s a short excerpt from Please God, Make Me a Writer that explores the problem, and offers a few suggestions to keep all those tidbits from falling into the cracks.
Writing Things Down Will Help Keep Your Sanity Intact
There’s a reason you should write things down.
In our daily lives, we often talk openly about what’s on our mind, or engage in conversations to discuss a new concept or theory, or mentally explore opinions and ideologies to our heart’s content.
All well and good, except that occasionally, some of that wisdom gets lost when we break the huddle and go on with our lives.
Call it a dismissive habit or selective hearing — either way, there’s a lot of good stuff that’s offered freely in the form of verbal interaction that never makes it past the dialogue stage. Why? Spoken words can dissipate quickly, before we have a chance to grasp the meaning, purpose, or intent of the message.
Because if we’re being honest, our attention span is short and our minds have a tendency to drift too easily to new and different horizons.
It comes down to this: Without making a concerted effort to physically document our thoughts, we can lose continuity and momentum — and possibly, some pretty cool ideas.
While we can make best efforts to remember what’s been said, relying on our overburdened brains to reproduce the magic from a few hours, days, or weeks ago is seldom productive — or for that matter, accurate.
Because the afterglow of a conversation loses its impact as time goes by and other distractions race across our path.
Thanks for reading this excerpt from Please God, Make Me a Writer. Watch a short Book Trailer on my YouTube Channel - right here …
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Jill Reid is the author of Please God, Make Me A Writer, Real Life, Discover Your Personal Truth, and Life in Small Doses. Her books, videos, and newsletters explore writing, life, relationships, and personal success strategies for building the skills and confidence you need to achieve your goals.