A Few Quick Thoughts From The Road
19:00
Photo credit: Infomastern via Foter.com / CC BY-SA
A Saturday post? What is this? This is Imogen catching up (along with answering the many lovely comments you guys have been leaving me this week). As you can probably tell from the lack of posts this week, I’ve been away for a few days. After finishing my read through of Snow last week, editing progress has slowed greatly as I help my brother move house. However, that doesn't mean that while I've been away from home, I haven't been thinking about writing and books. So I thought that today I'd share a few of my random writing thoughts that I had while I was away.
- There's something both magical and crazy about driving around at 3am. It's rather like writing a book. You're alone in your own little world most of the time, occasionally meeting another crazy person also out on a crazy adventure. You sort of nod in recognition of your mutual insanity at starting this whole endeavor. Then you get back to following your own route, lit by glow worm lights that illuminate just enough of the world (or your story) to let you make the journey.
- Sometimes you're gifted with a breakthrough for your plot, which turns out to be simultaneously perfect, and inconvenient. Like deciding a character should be a step-father instead of an uncle. Which makes so much sense and adds a whole new dimension to several very important relationships, and works so well you wonder why you didn't do it that way to begin with. But it also means changing half the book just to fix that one thing. Why? Just, why?
- Inspiration can come from anywhere, even when you're in an unfamiliar place and you're busy and tired. Taking a few minutes between things to sit down and think helps too, but unfortunately, the best inspiration almost always comes at an inconvenient time when you can't really write it down. Typical stroke of genius, never able to wait a few minutes until you can actually capture it properly.
- Don't trust tired minds to recognise good things, whether they're ideas or writing. What looks awesome late at night always turns out to need a LOT of work later on. Of course, you should always write everything down, because you can get quite a lot of good material to work with. But reserve judgement until you've actually had some sleep and your brain is working properly. Deciphering my late night scrawls is a nightmare.
- Coming home is one of the best feelings ever because, no matter how much inspiration you get, no matter how many strokes of genius you have, no matter how much you can read and write in the car on long trips, there is nothing like coming back to the familiarity and comfort of your own home, with your own books and desk and bed, and your family. And that is the best thing about going away.
That's what been happening with me this week. Tell me, what have you been up to? What are you working on? Had any amazing but inconvenient flashes of inspiration?
16 comments
I totally know what you mean about driving around at three in the morning. *nods* I love this post so much--it's all so true. My brain thinks it's immensely clever when it's exhausted.
ReplyDeleteAlas our poor brains. Sometimes what comes out is rather good. And sometimes the poor dear is convinced that it's a genius and really it can't write 'the cat sat on the mat' without typos.
Delete"Don't trust tired minds to recognise good things."
ReplyDeleteOMG Imogen. That is quote worthy. I loved reading this post. I imagined being out driving (I can't drive btw) at 3am and thought about how surreal that must be. I hope you had a good time away. I love that feeling of coming home too. It's much more powerful for me than the feeling of escape.
I have to admit, half this post was written late at night while I was away, so don't quote me on how well it turned out. I certainly saw the difference in my writing when I woke up the next morning though! I love that, the feeling of coming home being much more powerful than the feeling of escape. It's so true!
DeleteI feel like driving is a really deep thing, I'm way too young to drive yet. For me, it's laying in bed with homework on my lap. Aka procrastination is the key for ideas to me.
ReplyDelete"The best inspiration almost always comes at an inconvenient time when you can't really write it down." -story of my life Imogen xD
~Noor
That's just my experience too, Noor. Every time you're meant to be doing something else. I wonder what it is about being busy, whether it's with homework or something else, that suddenly turns the mind into creative ideas generating mode. It's amazing, and slightly inconvenient at the same time.
DeleteIt is true that when one is tired, the silliest things will look like genius. However, the overly trusting nature of the tired brain knows how to throw caution to the wind and just go for an idea! Even when my rested brain looks at my tired brain's idea and goes "Wha...?", that enthusiasm I had the night before will convince me to give wild ideas a chance. That's when magic can happen =D
ReplyDeleteVery true. That's the great thing about coming up with ideas when you're. You're far less likely to be judgmental about your ideas. And there are certainly some genius thoughts that can come up. But certainly, don't decide what is good and what isn't until you've had some rest! Thanks for your comment, Jessica
DeleteI think there's a rule that inspiration or ideas sometimes have to come at inconvenient times. :) And yes driving late at night can be inspirational in its own way. I would drive home from college late at night and it can be quite peaceful with hardly anyone on the road. I like the comment above too about the tired brain coming up with an idea that just might work. I think that's true.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely agree with that. A tired mind is a free mind. You're not constantly judging the ideas it's producing. And I think that's where most of my good ideas go, personally. I judge them waaaay too harshly an they up and leave. Probably why I see to get my best ideas right when I want to sleep, all the time. Thanks for stopping by Greg!
DeleteThis is lovely!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Aimee!
DeleteSo true to all of this! I've mostly been scrambling to get things done before my trip to Canada in two weeks. XD So it's been hectic lately.
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Ooh, have a great time in Canada. It's not so much fun scrambling to get everything finished and prepared for the trip away, but it's so worth it, isn't it?
DeleteIt is! I'm super excited, but nervous about my first international flight on my own. XD
DeleteI especially like what you said about coming home... Going on trips is always fun, but I think there's something special in coming back to something you know you love even more. :) <3
ReplyDelete