Wow. I sure resonate with this article on ideas. Last year when I opened the newspaper one day, I read about a riverboat captain who was retiring after patrolling the Hudson River for 24 years. He was working for an environmental group whose main job was to protect the river from polluters and stay vigilant for other forces that could harm this national treasure. I knew immediately that this man was someone who had an important story to tell and one kids should read about. I contacted him and we are now in the process of writing his nonfiction biography. I have structured it as having two main characters: the riverboat captain and the Hudson River itself. I love doing the research and having my main character fill me in along the way about his journey. I believe that ideas are kind of out there and ripe for the picking when we keep our eyes and ears open. I feel lucky that John believes in me even though I have not been published yet except for some magazine articles. I have gotten help from Kirsten Larson who is very knowledgeable about nonfiction and she has already critiqued my story once. I don't have an active critique group but I have friends who read my work. I believe in the message of this book and other fictional stories I have written. I have had them critiqued professionally a number of times. I also feel that I want to stop clinging to certain outcomes ((so detachment, as the Buddhist philosophy advises.) That way the universe can send me whatever is meant to come my way. Also I have become more aware of guarding my thoughts and not allowing negativity in. It's very powerful and helpful for us writers who are alone so much. We have to be like a sentry keeping guard over our minds so that only good and helpful thinking is allowed in. Thank you.
Oh, I love hearing all this Regina. Thank you so much for sharing it with me. What a fascinating project and I also love seeing that you're protecting your thoughts (and ideas) from that mean-girl-on-the-shoulder....
Thank you so much Alice. It has been quite a ride, but one I will always treasure. I do pray that one day a publisher will come and scoop up the story. It's a lot to compress into a nonfiction picture book and under 1500 words but that is the goal. I want it to come alive for kids so hopefully that can happen. Best wishes.
Ideas? I like this description of them floating about belonging to no-one. Terry Pratchett once wrote that they rain down on everyone, looking for a likely home. When I get an idea, I let it simmer - sometimes it just blows away, other times I start seeing pictures, making notes, and sometimes these become something. I have goodness knows how many documents in folders inevitably titled 'ideas', and plenty of opening scenes that never get any further, but sometimes, just sometimes the spark is fanned and a story emerges.
I have an idea for a book. It has sat inside my head for 45, almost 50, years. I have the 3 main characters and loads of ideas. I've done a character sketch and thought about what i would have to research but over the years it has never moved along. I write a blog and people enjoy reading it but I don't know if I have a novel inside me. The dedication and the tenacity and the gumption.
Yet words flit in and out at times, especially with insomnia, about snippets of conversations or thoughts that the main character has. So I have an idea but it has never taken wing.
Interesting--one of the things I learned when I was interviewing Chris Hadfield (the astronaut) for The Novelry last week was when he said: Give yourself the freedom to finish it (or similar words). It impacted me...
such an interesting question, what do you do with an idea. For a story idea, I don't want to tell anyone. I'm still embarrassed to admit I daydream up stories. I don't know why. For an idea for solving a problem, at work or in community organizing, I have no shame. I have confidence. I know have good ideas in those realms, and I'm proud that I'm really good at bringing them to life. Maybe it's just years of practice being public with one thing but not the other.
It's taken me a long time to be as patient as I am now. I used to tear to the page, write a lot of words and run swiftly out of steam. Now, when I share the glimmer of it, I share it with one person, just to check the temperature. And I see if it sticks around, if I'm still curious. As I was driving today, I suddenly realised what I wanted one of the characters to do as a job (probably the dead one ;-)))) and it reminded me that this is where I'll be writing when I'm done my edit...
Wow. I sure resonate with this article on ideas. Last year when I opened the newspaper one day, I read about a riverboat captain who was retiring after patrolling the Hudson River for 24 years. He was working for an environmental group whose main job was to protect the river from polluters and stay vigilant for other forces that could harm this national treasure. I knew immediately that this man was someone who had an important story to tell and one kids should read about. I contacted him and we are now in the process of writing his nonfiction biography. I have structured it as having two main characters: the riverboat captain and the Hudson River itself. I love doing the research and having my main character fill me in along the way about his journey. I believe that ideas are kind of out there and ripe for the picking when we keep our eyes and ears open. I feel lucky that John believes in me even though I have not been published yet except for some magazine articles. I have gotten help from Kirsten Larson who is very knowledgeable about nonfiction and she has already critiqued my story once. I don't have an active critique group but I have friends who read my work. I believe in the message of this book and other fictional stories I have written. I have had them critiqued professionally a number of times. I also feel that I want to stop clinging to certain outcomes ((so detachment, as the Buddhist philosophy advises.) That way the universe can send me whatever is meant to come my way. Also I have become more aware of guarding my thoughts and not allowing negativity in. It's very powerful and helpful for us writers who are alone so much. We have to be like a sentry keeping guard over our minds so that only good and helpful thinking is allowed in. Thank you.
Oh, I love hearing all this Regina. Thank you so much for sharing it with me. What a fascinating project and I also love seeing that you're protecting your thoughts (and ideas) from that mean-girl-on-the-shoulder....
Thank you so much Alice. It has been quite a ride, but one I will always treasure. I do pray that one day a publisher will come and scoop up the story. It's a lot to compress into a nonfiction picture book and under 1500 words but that is the goal. I want it to come alive for kids so hopefully that can happen. Best wishes.
I hope so, too! There are lots of ways to get a book into the hands of readers—self publishing can be really successful, too!
Not at all, it is a naming convention commonly misunderstood by North Americans.
Well, thank you again!
Thank you for this, Alice. I need to print this off and leave it out where I can see it OFTEN💞
This is a lovely comment! Thank you. I hope new ideas fly by today!
Nice quote but the author’s surname is “Garcia Marquez”, not “Marquez”.
Thank you! I will fix! (Red-faced!)
Ideas? I like this description of them floating about belonging to no-one. Terry Pratchett once wrote that they rain down on everyone, looking for a likely home. When I get an idea, I let it simmer - sometimes it just blows away, other times I start seeing pictures, making notes, and sometimes these become something. I have goodness knows how many documents in folders inevitably titled 'ideas', and plenty of opening scenes that never get any further, but sometimes, just sometimes the spark is fanned and a story emerges.
Yes! So many documents and scraps and notes that slip away again, almost caught!
I have an idea for a book. It has sat inside my head for 45, almost 50, years. I have the 3 main characters and loads of ideas. I've done a character sketch and thought about what i would have to research but over the years it has never moved along. I write a blog and people enjoy reading it but I don't know if I have a novel inside me. The dedication and the tenacity and the gumption.
Yet words flit in and out at times, especially with insomnia, about snippets of conversations or thoughts that the main character has. So I have an idea but it has never taken wing.
Interesting--one of the things I learned when I was interviewing Chris Hadfield (the astronaut) for The Novelry last week was when he said: Give yourself the freedom to finish it (or similar words). It impacted me...
such an interesting question, what do you do with an idea. For a story idea, I don't want to tell anyone. I'm still embarrassed to admit I daydream up stories. I don't know why. For an idea for solving a problem, at work or in community organizing, I have no shame. I have confidence. I know have good ideas in those realms, and I'm proud that I'm really good at bringing them to life. Maybe it's just years of practice being public with one thing but not the other.
It's taken me a long time to be as patient as I am now. I used to tear to the page, write a lot of words and run swiftly out of steam. Now, when I share the glimmer of it, I share it with one person, just to check the temperature. And I see if it sticks around, if I'm still curious. As I was driving today, I suddenly realised what I wanted one of the characters to do as a job (probably the dead one ;-)))) and it reminded me that this is where I'll be writing when I'm done my edit...
So nice to see you yesterday xo
Likewise! I loved hearing about all your upcoming adventures and creative projects!