One thing that a lot of people don't know about me is that I love writing stories, fiction to be exact. It's said that, if you look hard enough, a thousand story ideas are laid out in front of you every day, you just have to look for them. While I may not know the identity of said person, I've found his insight incredibly accurate. I can't tell you how many ideas I've come up with just from everyday happenings, not to mention all the various locations I've visited. For instance, something as simple as watching a ski show down at Ellis Park triggered the following idea: what if one of the people in the show was kidnapped on the water? What if it was the main character's job to save them? What if he had to look into his family history to discover the whereabouts of the kidnappers and what they want with him? And what would happen if it spanned across the country from the Midwest to New Orleans to the capitol city ending in a showdown of epic proportions?
In order to put this idea into actual words, as with anything else, I had to start somewhere. So I developed a sort of pre-writing ritual to get into a writing mood. I suggest you to find one if you find trying to sit down and write a challenge. Here are some suggestions that I use in my ritual.
1. Pick a time to start writing. My favorite, yet tragically scarcely used, times are late night and, to quote the great Sinatra, "the wee small hours of the morning."
2. Find your favorite spot in the house, or even in the neighborhood. The optimum spot for me is the desk under my loft bed.
3. Make yourself a hot (or cold) beverage. Coffee is the idealistic drink by my count, but if you're not a coffee drinker hot chocolate will suffice.
4. Choose some good music to listen to while you gather your thoughts. Personally I prefer the musical stylings of Billy Joel, Owl City, Frank Sinatra and Jack's Mannequin.
I hope these help you in your writing endeavors as they have with myself.
WC:366
No comments:
Post a Comment