I'm deep in first draft land on the wip. My mind is full of moving chapters around, scenes pop in my head at inopportune moments. I'm getting what I call "the look" from my friends and family. You know, the one where you go all quiet as a scene/idea/dialogue pops into your head.
I'm lucky my friends and family have gotten used to me disappearing into imagination land. I tend to re-appear once the first draft is written and I begin to edit. Until then, I'm there, but I'm prone to wander into my world of write, write, write.
Last week I had a huge writing week...a 7k writing week. I'm hoping to get something similar done this week, but (while I know the family/friends won't disappear -- thankfully!) I'm worried that the words will disappear from my head.
I know it's a weird thought to have, but I can't help it. Each thought that flutters in could be the key scene in my book, a turning point, an emotional high or low. Each thought could be the one I need to close/open the new chapter.
To combat this, while I'm out and about, I type notes into the notepad on my phone. Or, if I'm a bit more stationary, I'm getting out my note pad, trapping the thoughts on paper so they can't flutter away. Anything to make the words stay put. :)
How about you? How do you cope with the inconvenient writing prompts popping in your head?
15 comments:
If I'm at work, I email myself. When I'm out and about...digital recorder. I transcribe the files when I get 20-30 nuggets on there and it is surprising how many things I would have completely forgotten about if I hadn't recorded it!
Oh I get the look daily. And I can't leave the house without my notebook. I learned my lesson on my way to work one day when I had a thought and had to write on my arm. One of the teachers I work with thought I had lost my mind! Now my notebook and pen stay in my purse at all times!
I put it all in my journal. Of course then I can never find it again, but the process of writing it out helps to clarify things for later.
Yay for your awesome writing week!!! That's fantastic!! Continue to trap those ideas!!!
I do the same, snatching my notebook and writing down as many thoughts as I can!!!
I don't. My imagination usually goes into overload when I'm in the passenger's seat of the car. I dunno why. but when I have a 'eureka!' moment, I'm usually pretty confident I'll be able to hold onto it until we get home. the only time I ever write stuff down is if something hits me right when i'm about to fall asleep. I get up and make a note because I know I won't remember come morning.
I keep a notebook with me at all times. And when I'm at work I write on bits of paper and then shove them in my purse when I'm leaving. I look like I'm stealing scrap paper. I hope to wrap up the wip in the next couple of weeks. *fingers crossed* So forgive me if I'm distr-
7k? Woohoo! That's a lot. Keep it up!
When I'm out and about, I always have a little notebook in my purse. Texting is a great tool, too; I just save it as a draft. I don't even know if my phone has a notepad. I'll have to check that out!
Good luck with your wip!
I don't cope. If I did I'd never get my paid work done. So unfortunately I have to let most of my little gems slip away. Depressing innit?
For me, it's the good ol' Roald Dahl advice: carry a notebook everywhere. Stop the car and jot things down if you have to.
And I've developed a very crazy shorthand that I can usually decipher for about a week. :)
You always mention things in your blog posts that make me go, "Yes! Me, too! I do that!" I guess I'm not as weird as I thought I was. ;)
I just the other night got a line in my head that went with its own story, one I haven't written yet. I tried to commit it to memory, but now I can't remember it for the life of me...and man, it was perfect. I hate it when perfect lines come to me at inconvenient times. There just aren't enough notepads in the world to keep one handy whenever inspiration strikes. Okay, maybe there are. But I don't want to put paper in the bathroom.
Just like you, I try to keep a notebook handy. The other night I ran from the dinner table to joy something down! :-)
I have a bedside notebook now, but at work or wherever I try repeating the idea over and over. It even works sometimes :)
I'm a note taker, with my phone and notepads.
Happy writing.
Love the notepad app on my phone. I don't think I could live without it. Each time I think of a good line or a great idea, I made sure to type it into my phone. Good luck with your first draft!
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