Capture Your Gems: Holding On To Your Writing Ideas
Do you have something you want to write, but it is still sitting in your head? I've found there's something peculiar about a writing idea that's allowed to remain in your imagination - it usually looks fantastic.
A wonderful phrase, a snippet of dialogue, or fascinating piece of information will stick out in your minds, and entice you to think what a fantastic literary gem it is; just like a gemstone in a cabinet.
"I know what I'm going to write - it's in my head.
" I've said this often enough; and I've also felt the frustration and disappointment when my gem of an idea has been transferred onto paper, and it doesn't look nearly as good as it had while in my head.
Why is this? Going back to my analogy of the gem in the cabinet, an idea that only stays in your head is like seeing just one side of that precious stone.
You'll only see its best side.
You can't really get inside and inspect it.
If there are any defects, they won't be noticed, and therefore won't be improved on.
What can you do about this? Capture those ideas! Prolific authors are well known for filling notebooks full of descriptions, snippets of information or dialogue.
Ideas and observations are written down - and they've probably got (or had) many others that aren't written too, of course.
The imagination is a mysterious place.
All sorts of things are constantly being conjured, and these new ideas, thoughts, insights and discoveries are constantly taking the place of ones we've had before.
Unless these myriad thoughts are captured, they're likely to be buried under the pile of new arrivals, and forgotten.
Are all our ideas likely to be brilliantly useful or inspirational? No; of course not.
But unless you can inspect them, how will you know? This takes us back to our starting picture of the gem in the cabinet.
That gem might not actually be as good as it looks, hidden away in there with its neighbours.
But then again, it might be the next best seller idea.
It's not hard to capture your thoughts - a supply of notebooks in appropriate places, or a Dictaphone perhaps - can easily fill this need.
Beware of the dreaded little pieces of note paper though, unless you are disciplined to put them into a container and keep them.
Capturing your writing gems will allow you to inspect, develop and polish them up for everyone else to enjoy.
A wonderful phrase, a snippet of dialogue, or fascinating piece of information will stick out in your minds, and entice you to think what a fantastic literary gem it is; just like a gemstone in a cabinet.
"I know what I'm going to write - it's in my head.
" I've said this often enough; and I've also felt the frustration and disappointment when my gem of an idea has been transferred onto paper, and it doesn't look nearly as good as it had while in my head.
Why is this? Going back to my analogy of the gem in the cabinet, an idea that only stays in your head is like seeing just one side of that precious stone.
You'll only see its best side.
You can't really get inside and inspect it.
If there are any defects, they won't be noticed, and therefore won't be improved on.
What can you do about this? Capture those ideas! Prolific authors are well known for filling notebooks full of descriptions, snippets of information or dialogue.
Ideas and observations are written down - and they've probably got (or had) many others that aren't written too, of course.
The imagination is a mysterious place.
All sorts of things are constantly being conjured, and these new ideas, thoughts, insights and discoveries are constantly taking the place of ones we've had before.
Unless these myriad thoughts are captured, they're likely to be buried under the pile of new arrivals, and forgotten.
Are all our ideas likely to be brilliantly useful or inspirational? No; of course not.
But unless you can inspect them, how will you know? This takes us back to our starting picture of the gem in the cabinet.
That gem might not actually be as good as it looks, hidden away in there with its neighbours.
But then again, it might be the next best seller idea.
It's not hard to capture your thoughts - a supply of notebooks in appropriate places, or a Dictaphone perhaps - can easily fill this need.
Beware of the dreaded little pieces of note paper though, unless you are disciplined to put them into a container and keep them.
Capturing your writing gems will allow you to inspect, develop and polish them up for everyone else to enjoy.
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