Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Sunny Days

I skipped Teaser Tuesday this week but will have one up next week. The weather, for once, even after a snowy weekend, has been fantastic. So I've been living it up in the backyard with the kids, soaking in as much as possible before I'm sure it will rain for weeks or something.

The good news is my muse is wide awake and tackling my brain, most especially at night when I'm suppose to be sleeping. Good, because I need my muse and can't wait to go full steam ahead on the WIP, but bad when I actually need the sleep. I keep a journal on my nightstand that I write on (and thanks to the baby monitor light I can see sort of where I'm writing and don't have to decipher it in the morning) and a digital voice recorder in my purse. But I'm weird. I don't like people to read my notes, or hear me make them verbally. I have no idea why. Self-consciousness, maybe?

What habits do you have for keeping the muse's recordings? And where are some odd places they've struck you? The shower isn't really odd to me anymore now that after reading something about the hot water doing something to some part of the brain, opening it up to more creativity (so, writers, hit a wall? Go take a hot shower with the WIP on the brain.)

With that, I'm off to the backyard again. See you for Good News Thursday!

Go to fullsize imageShine On!

20 comments:

  1. This explains everything! Our shower has been spitting out only lukewarm water for the last couple months. No wonder my brain hasn't been functioning properly! :)

    To answer your question, I think of things while I'm doing mundane chores like washing dishes and folding laundry. But I don't write them down. I figure if they're worth their salt, they'll stick with me.

    Enjoy the sunshine!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, A.L! Gosh, I wish mine would stick with me. I don't think some of them flee for the sake of being crappy, but just because of mommy brain, or, "I-do-way-too-much-for-the-low-brain-power-I-have" memory issues. I'll play the scene I think up over and over until I have something to write or record it down with.

    Thanks for sharing, you rock!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The shower is a good place for me;
    The office, when I should be working. I listen to music and stare out of the window and come up with good things;
    Sometimes, in bed, just before I go to sleep although I try not to, otherwise I can't sleep.

    ReplyDelete
  4. My purse is flooded with sticky notes! It's fun to try and put them in order after a few days.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sue- Yes! The before bed thing always gets me, but I usually give in because those are the best times for great ideas (for me).

    Tamika, love post its. And hey, you can arrange them in the order you want, too! Great plotting tool. Thanks for stopping by! :-D

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hmmmm... weird places. Well, the car, shower, and bed are out. I usually end up plotting at work since the work is so repetitive it's not funny. I've plotted in the dr's office before.

    I really can't say I've plotted anywhere unusual.

    Except for when I'm soaking in really, REALLY hot water, I'm listening to something. Either music, the radio, or TV. If it's the TV, typically it's a kids' cartoon/movie, but it works.

    hmmmmm... maybe that explains the picture book idea???

    ReplyDelete
  7. J, possibly! You're brave, I don't think I'd be very good at picture books. Can't wait to hear about yours!!

    And yes, music is a big idea instigator for me as well.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sounds like you definitely took advantage of the wonderful day!!! It was rainy here however we had gotten a lot of gorgeous weather before then so I wasn't too worried!

    Bad muse for messing with you while sleeping, but good muse for giving you wonderful ideas!!! Have fun writing when you get a chance!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Most of my ideas hit me after midnight. I like to call it "Midnight Mojo" and it's been pretty good to me, so far. I tend to get things done while everyone else is sleep. I'd love to just go to sleep and wake up like everybody else, but Midnight Mojo strikes.

    I had some ideas pop in my head while in the bathroom, but that's all I'll say (some of you might be eating). It's the only place in the house that's completely silent.

    Music is good. I tend to seek out my playlist while I'm writing or drawing, so its like a habit now. It's good to have something on in the background.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hmm... none of mine are so unusual, I don't think. In bed as I'm falling asleep. In the shower - I don't know if it's the water so much as the alone time, heh. Oh, and in the car on the daily commute. Um... maybe I shouldn't admit to that one? But yeah, my mind totally wanders during the drive. Eep!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I repeat my muses recording until I have a piece of paper, a napkin or if neither of those are available my arm. Then I record it into a journal or onto my computer.

    ReplyDelete
  12. same here. shower, driving or falling asleep!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Kenesu- Midnight Mojo! Hah, I love that. May I borrow it?

    Ink, no worries, my mind definitely wanders while driving.

    Hayley- You sound like me. I always have to write it down or continue to think it over.

    Jenn, they definitely seem the majority for places to plot and muse!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I always think of stuff right before I go to bed. The problem is that it drives my husband CRAZY. I already go to bed super late because of writing and when I get up again to go write random ideas down he always makes this annoyed noise and rolls over. Ahh, the life of a tortured writer.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hahaha! Yes, I've had a few husband run-ins like that. Thankfully, he's a heavy sleeper and goes to bed (usually) before me.

    Does he snore? If so, say its payback! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. I write down ideas in my calender then put them in a file on my computer. My muse are my kids, they are the first people I share ideas with and since I write YA they are a great resource for story development and interest.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Jen- Somehow I missed your comment. Thanks! The day was great, but I got little writing done.

    LM- Kiddos are great for that! Mine aren't old enough yet, looking forward to doing that when they are. :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sure, you can use Midnight Mojo.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oh man--I totally think of stuff right before I go to bed, too---then I can't sleep! Plus, the showwer (why is that, anyway?), the car, anywhere I'm excercising solo with music.

    And I used to jot down notes all the time for the first novel, but not DG. Hmmm... I wonder why? Maybe bc the laptop has surgically attached itself to me lately, lol...

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks, Kenesu!

    Debra- The shower is something about hot water and brain neurons or some scientific crap like that lol.

    ReplyDelete