Do you believe in a muse? I do. I can't describe her though; she's somewhere between an angel, Glenda the Good Witch (Wizard of Oz) and Mother Nature (from that old TV Parkay commercial). Regardless of what she looks like, when she is with me, she is supportive and encouraging me onward. Other days, it seems like I take two steps forward only to take three steps back. But. . .
I'm here to talk about ideas. Where do you get your ideas from? Specifically, how do you keep track of them?
Many writers keep a notebook by their bed to record thoughts or dreams. Ann LaMott carried a 3x5 card in her pocket. Having something that small with a pen or pencil in your pocket is a good way to capture an idea you may want to use later.
I've read where you should write down 2-3 words that will remind you of your idea. If you can recall your idea that way you are indeed better than I. If I looked at a scrap months later that read: dog is wolf, I would not be able to recall my original thoughts or where I was going with the idea. I need a good paragraph with a clue where this is leading me, i.e. seen a dog chained at house, dog/wolf/hybrid?, owner confirmed wolf, told me how acquired, etc.From there I can choose to write fiction, a poem, or an article on whether it is right to keep wolves as domestic pets. I need to put down where I might go with this information.
Another method of keeping track of ideas is to use a voice recorder (tapeless) or tape recorder. I just bought one; I'll let you know how well this works. How do you keep track of your ideas?
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