A creative writing teacher once gave my class some advice I’ll never forget: when it comes to story ideas, it’s best to ride around on the bus with it. In other words, take time to process and decide if it’s the best story and/or story direction. In my mind, there are two types of riding-around-on-the-bus-with-it:
1. Unintentional thinking time: the epiphanies come to you when they come to you.
2. Intentional thinking time: you schedule time to develop ideas, work through plot holes, seam story threads together.
Both are great, but unless you plan on taking a decade to write your next novel, consider deliberately deliberating.
With intentional thinking time, there are two considerations: The When and The What. As to The When, I use the term “schedule” loosely here. It could be any spare five minutes, but before that five minute starts, it’s helpful to give yourself a task (The What): the kernel that needs expanding, the plot bunny that needs cajoling, the character arc that needs developing.
Ideas for The When:
-At bedtime: lately, I’ve taken to writing my plot holes on sticky notes and putting them on the wall by my bed. Before I fall asleep, I read through them and decide which one I want to focus on. If you read before bed, make notes about what to process on a bookmark, so it’s the last thing you see before you close the book.
-In the shower: I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. I do some of my best plotting in the shower. When I’m in the thick of writing a book, I consider it a waste of a shower if I haven’t given myself a problem to work through while I’m in there. I usually read my outline notes for the chapter ahead and then jump in for some creative suds-ing.
-During the commute: if you commute to work by bus, then you can literally ride your ideas around on the bus (or the train or the carshare.) If you drive, concentrate on the road.
-While waiting: never wait in line or in your dentist’s reception area without a mission again. That’s right folks. Pull on those thinking caps and work through those ideas.
I wrote this post for the monthly Insecure Writers Support Group blog hop. To continue hopping or to join the hop, click here. (There are more than 200 of us, and it’s fun!)
Is your creative thinking process intentional, unintentional or a combination? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Oh my goodness, I totally relate to this post. When I’m working on a project, a shower is a complete waste of time to me unless I’m working on some plot problem while I’m in there! I like how you mention the difference between intentional and unintentional thinking time, because both are important parts of my creative process. I often won’t start a project until I have some sort of epiphany as to what it should be about, but from that point on it’s all showers and intentional daydreams as I try to coax the plot into something remotely write-able. Either way, thinking about projects is always a lot of fun – sometimes more so than the actual writing 🙂
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Nothing wrong with our hygiene then. 🙂
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It’s usually a combination, but I’ve found with the intentional ones, nothing comes of them – just more frustration because I can’t figure out story issues! Unintentional ones are great, but I’ve also found that if they come at the most inconvenient times, trying to note down and/or remember it can be difficult. But, whichever way, finally getting that solution brings such a wave of relief.
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Agreed! I have unintentional epiphanies all the time. 😉
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I can totally relate to this too. I often solve plot points and other problems in life (and I used to work on my cases when I was an attorney) in the shower, when walking, etc.
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You were an attorney! What cool fodder for writing. 🙂
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While nothing comes to me in the shower as I’m not awake yet, I do mull over ideas while I’m practicing my guitar.
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You can do that!!! What a brain you must have, Alex J. Cavanaugh.
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When I am driving is often when things pop into my head or in bed with lights out right before sleep.
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I had to wake myself up two nights ago, because I knew I wouldn’t remember an opening line for a chapter, and it’s a good thing I put it in a reminder in my phone, because I had completely forgotten I’d done that when the reminder pinged. 🙂
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And when you’re walking 🚶♀️ with or without a dog!🐕
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When I get home next week, I’m going to schedule some kitten-snuggling-brainstorming time. 🙂
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Some good advice. I tend to find that when I set time aside to clear my mind (for example on my lunch break or going for a walk when I’ve had a day at home) clearing my mind allows new ideas to sneak in.
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I like it!
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I don’t schedule time to plot. My favorite thing is to fantasize about my story while falling asleep. I do it most nights and come up with great scenes and ideas that way. And yes, I remember in the morning. 🙂
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I love falling asleep thinking about my story as well. 🙂
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My shower and my commute are definitely my two best times for dreaming up ideas. Unfortunately, my wife keeps asking me why my showers take so long. 😦
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I laughed when I read this, Ken. 🙂
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I used to keep a voice recorder in my car so I could record ideas that occurred to me while driving. If I didn’t, I’d forget them by the time I reached my destination.
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I love this, because I definitely do a lot of both. The deliberate time is usually during mundane activities, like you said, and I also do it while listening to music. I know not to rush my brain and how long it needs to sit on something and what details I need to work out before I actually start writing. Rushing leads to me falling flat on my face when I try to write.
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Me too. I had to have a chat with myself last nanowrimo. I just wasn’t ready to write the story, as much as I wanted to pump out 50K.
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I usually do my creative thinking intentionally, but every so often something will crop up unexpectedly. It’s nice when that happens, but it’s more productive if I do it intentionally.
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Agreed. 🙂
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I love your old teacher’s thoughts. It’s true, innit. And your descriptions are spot on. I find myself musing over ideas often from snippets I’ve written down, while I’m reading another book (that sparks my creativity), and the boredom of commutes.
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Commutes are great. If the whole world was writers, we could all take the bus, and the planet would be better for it. 🙂
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Yup, I literally do a lot of plotting, thinking, writing while “on the bus.” (Well, it used to be on a bus, lately I’ve been driving.) Walking the dog also used to be a big one for me, I would never take the time to go for a walk and think on my own, but taking the dog out forced me to do it.
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Do you think my cats would like to go for a ‘plotting’ walk with me? 🙂
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I use Scrivener (not a shill). I print the outline from the index cards to see what needs to slot in where, how many dead end introductions I have, nowhere plot devices or characters…makes it easier to spot them and go to work. Spontaniety is my name. Jam hard and often, get it down. Then take a weedeater to it. It’s hard to fuss and edit unless you have a story…
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I’ll be editing in a month or two. Maybe I need a Weedeater. 🙂
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I always get the best ideas right when I’m doing something else. I don’t know if it’s a mental diversion or what, but I keep post it notes handy. I also jot down everything in google docs if I can. I wish you luck Raimey 🙂
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You sound so organized! Teach me!
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That’s pretty much how I start every series I write. I think about it at random times and when a few ideas come together I find time to jot in them in a notebook until it fleshes out into three books.
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You say it like it’s easy! 🙂
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I use sticky notes all the time – have them stuck all over my legal pads. Also, I email notes to myself during the day. And my awesome daughter gave me one of those notepads for the shower. And in a pinch, I use grocery receipts, those stupid renewal cards from magazines, and napkins if I don’t have my notebook.
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Notepad for the shower just made my gift wish list. 🙂
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I think steam in the shower is vaporized inspiration. I always have a bevy of creative gems that pop into my mind during showers and hope to hold onto a handful by the time I get to paper. I love your sticky notes by the bed idea. Unfortunately, I think my air filter would blow them off and then one of the pups would probably eat them before I woke. However, as always you have some great actionable advice here. It is always a pleasure reading your posts, Raimey.
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I love that as a line: ‘vaporized inspiration.’ I wrote something similar recently.
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Doing dishes and taking a bath also create good thinkin’ times. Great advice on using sticky notes. I love sticky notes!
Mary at Play off the Page
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I totally should have mentioned chores as an idea for thinking time! You’re brilliant, Mary!
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I’ve had some humdingers of ideas while mowing the lawn or washing dishes. I’m definitely more creative away from the desk.
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Chores is such a great idea for thinking time! You and Mary have got this down! 🙂
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Yes! This post so resonates. Creative ideas do hit when you least expect them to.
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Thanks! 🙂
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Most of my creative ideas come out of thin air. I should try to be more intentional about things. I wonder what ideas would spark if I put some more focus around the process.
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It would be an interesting experiment, for sure. 🙂
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I love that expression “ride around on the bus with it”! And yes to deliberately deliberating. Brainwaves are going to come at all sorts of times, but I definitely like to sit down with my ideas and think them out as well. Love these suggestions!
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Thanks so much!
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You’re welcome!
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Newbie. I carry my ideas around in my head and mull them over when I’m doing chores, commuting or walking the dogs until I can get home to my computer.
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Hi Madeline! Are you in the #IWSG hop? Let me know where I can find you if you are, because I’d love to return your comment. I’d love to visit your blog back either way. 🙂
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I actively think about my story while walking my dog. I unintentionally come up with great ideas while trying to sleep – which means lots of scribbles that I have to decipher the next day!
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I’m glad you remember them. That only sometimes works for me. 🙂
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Great tips here, Raimey. I’ve shared them online. I like the sticky notes by your bed at night. I’ve got to try that. Sometimes I go for walks to talk to myself, trying to figure out where to go from here and work in a little exercise at the same time.
http://victoriamarielees.blogspot.com
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I just read your post about exercise as reward. Love it. 🙂
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The waiting room can be a time to brainstorm – yes! Great post, Raimey.
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Absolutely!
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Actually, I do a lot of brainstorming on my chiropractor’s table. 🙂
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Boy, I wish I could do intentional creative thinking, but I seem incapable of it. When I get my conscious mind involved all creativity seems to go right out the window. But maybe I could be intentional in the scheduling, at least. Interesting, thought-provoking post!
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It’s not always possible for me either. Just because I make an effort to work through a plot problem doesn’t mean the solution will happen on my first ‘session.’ 🙂
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I like to walk through busy stores and observe. Let the mind run free and see where it goes. Sometimes the characters come to you. Thank you for sharing.
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My pleasure! Let me know if you have a blog I can visit back. 🙂
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I do. Looks like the original link didn’t work. Fingers crossed this one will. It’s only been up a month. I’m learning as I go. Thanks!!!
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It works, and I followed you! 🙂
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Thank you. You’re awesome!!!!!
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This post resonates to me. Yes, some of the creative plots come unexpected.
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Thanks so much for saying that. 🙂
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Much of my creative writing process is unintentional. I hit upon an idea and run with it. I dont know yet how to work on it in an intentional way – the epiphanies would be lost and that would sadden me.
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Thanks for visiting! I’ll visit back soon. 🙂
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I can’t link to your blog for some reason…
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