Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are!

There are the days when the writing goes well. I love those days. I want more of those days. For all those other days, however, here are a few ideas of where you might find your talent.

In the basement.

Clearing out clutter (where in heaven's name does it all come from?)can trigger a thought which gives me a hint of where my plot could go. Sometimes, of course, the thought is "What the heck is this?"

In the kitchen.

Never underestimate the value of letting your mind wander while you're cooking. Warning: Don't let your mind wander too far, or you may discover (too late, of course) that you just substituted salt for sugar. Trust me, this is not wanted on the voyage.

In a book.

I've often found that reading other books in my genre will fire my imagination. However, if the book is very well written, this can also lead to fits of despair. Approach with caution - or at least, with your ego well- armed.

In bed.

No, I don't mean that. I don't write those sorts of books. I have found, though, that those first moments after I turn out the light are the perfect time to ask troublesome characters questions. If you ask them politely, it's amazing what they'll reveal.

In my notes.

If I'm really stuck, I'll go back to my initial notes that I wrote when I was first forming my plot. Many times, I'll discover something that, in the heat of actually writing the darned thing, I've forgotten completely. Sometimes, going back to the beginning of the process helps. Sometimes, it makes you want to eat a lot of cake.

Where do you look?