Our minds are a battle ground between good and bad ideas; we are whatever side wins the battle.
― Bangambiki Habyarimana
Take time to reflect, let ideas flow on their own schedule and let yourself have numerous bad ideas to inspire the good ones.
― Joanie Connell
A bad idea or a bold idea. And yet, history’s greatest minds always advised bold over safe; their words good padding for even the worst ideas.
― Holly Jackson
Where do you get your ideas? This is the question writers are asked most often. And no one wants to hear, “I dunno, they just come to me,” (said with a shrug). They want specifics. I used to think it’s kind of a dumb question – ideas are everywhere, you just have to open your eyes to them – but it’s not always that simple.
Yes, ideas are all around us, but are they good ideas? Ideas with enough meat to sustain them for an entire story, or novella, or novel? Not always. Sometimes the ideas you come up with are terrible. And you don’t always realize this until you’ve wasted considerable time trying to make it work.
I’m guilty of this, especially if I’m working with generated prompts. What looks good as a prompt doesn’t always translate into a story.
So how can you tell if your idea is good or bad? Well, you can’t always. But there are signs you should abandon it. If it’s taking too for you to get that first word down – you sit there and stare at the screen (or notepad) and nothing happens. Don’t wait too long before moving on to something else. This will only lead to no end of frustration and wasted time.
If it’s a struggle to get going on it, the words you think you could use just slip away when you try to put them down, or you keep changing them and they still don't make sense, it’s probably not a good idea. If you try plotting it out and it doesn’t really go anywhere, it probably never will.
If you’re unsure of an idea, run it by a friend whose opinion you trust. They might have insights on why it’s a bad idea.
Does this idea excite you? Make you want to sit at your desk for hours working away? Will there be an audience for it?
There’s an argument that there’s an audience for everything, even really bad ideas. So I guess the question you have to ask yourself is, what do you want to get out of this idea. Are you writing it for fun? For profit? Only you can decide if an idea is worth saving.
To help you find an idea, good or bad, here are a few of my favorite prompt generators:
Short Story Ideas
Springhole
Even a bad idea is better than no idea at all.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
WORDAGE REPORT
Well, I was pretty much treading water, as far as writing went last week. But all things considered, it was a busy week so just keeping up is good enough for me.
NEW WORDS:
Blog Posts – 1,603+579+473+648=3,303
Poetry – Poetry – 181 (included in blog post)
Total words: 3,303
Goals For Next Week:
Try and add in some extra words to that total.
EDITING:
3 pages
Yowsa! I had a lot of good intentions, where editing was concerned, but good intentions don’t produce pages. This is getting ridiculous! How long have I been editing this book now? I think it’s time to smarten up and aim for a Christmas release.
Goal For Next Week:
Step up the editing pace on Magickal Mayhem.
MARKETING:
*sigh* No Marketing. Yeah, I’m not even going there this time.
Goal For Next Week:
Submit two flash stories and one poem.
TECH & TRAINING:
Well, technically nothing new here, but I did get a message from Dropbox telling me the extra space I got when I bought my Lenovo (that I didn’t even know I had) was about to expire and what did I want to do about it. And then, just yesterday, I got a message from McAfee telling me my subscription was automatically renewed. You know, the subscription Staples screwed up so that I couldn’t access it so I paid for Avast instead. *sigh*
Goal For Next Week:
Figure out if I can make enough use out of Dropbox to warrant paying for it; figure out which virus protection I want to keep and get a refund for the other.
POETRY WEDNESDAY:
I shared an invented form, the Cascade, last week. It was a really interesting form to work with and I enjoyed working on my examples.
And I’m still contemplating a poetry anthology, or maybe that will be two – one of traditional forms, and one of non-traditional forms. Or maybe it’ll just be one anthology of all forms, and I’ll divide into two sections. Or maybe alternate traditional with non-traditional. So many poems to choose from.
Goal For Next Week:
Find a new form to share and figure out the anthology.
CRAFTING:
I finished the pansies on the first of my pillowcases and I picked out the colours for the border. Then I realized that the border is too faint to see in some places. I didn’t want to cut up the original transfer and mess it up for future use, so I traced the parts I’d need onto tracing paper, and then went over it (from the back) with a transfer pencil.
Then the next problem popped up. In embroidering the pansies, I altered the structural integrity of the pillowcase. In other words, I can’t just lay the transfer overtop and have everything line up properly. I’m going to have to do it one section at a time. So . . . I think I’ll embroider as much as the border as I can, then iron on the remaining one section at a time, embroidering as I go along.
Once again I did not get the sewing machine set up and working again, so I did not get my skirt and blouse finished. And now I’ve got some hemming from my father-in-law to add to the mix. Not to mention there are a couple of other skirts I’ll love to make for fall. *sigh*
I did make some progress on the cancer afghan, and I figured out a better colour scheme for it without having to rip out anything I’ve done so far. AND I visited the yarn shop and found some beautiful variegated yarn to make a sweater to go with my skirt (if I ever get it finished). So that will be my next TV needlework project.
Goal For Next Week:
Keep working on the pillowcase. Work on the cancer afghan. Get the sewing machine working and finish my skirt and blouse.
WHAT I’M READING:
Still haven’t updated my Goodreads account – I’m really going to hate myself when I finally get around to it.
Finished reading The Lost Girl Found. by Maisey Yates. It was an interesting blend of family and what the mind is capable of to protect itself. Loved the different personalities of the sisters and how even with the age differences they stayed close.
I actally went a couple of days without reading anything, but then yesterday I picked up Book Lovers by Emily Henry. This was recommended to me by my daughter and so far she hasn’t led me astray.
Goal For Next Week:
Suck it up and update my Goodreads account!
GOAL REVIEW:
No extra words, but I did get all my regular words done, and like I said earlier, it was a busy week so that’s not too bad. But I did try spreading things out a little more – a bit here and a bit there, and I think that’s how I managed to keep on top of everything.
No tech or training, but I confess I did spend a little more time on mindless games than I’d like. And I forgot all about the shredding I keep promising myself I’m going to do.
The craft room project is on hold until we’re ready for a dump run – there’s not much I can do in there until I’m able to get rid of the futon parts and some of the other bigger, useless stuff. I am hoping to take a load of donations to the thrift store this week – mostly clothes and books. Yes, that’s right. Books!
I should probably start writing down some of my plans so I can prioritize them. And on that note, I was considering going back to lists to help clarify what I wanted to get done with other aspects of my life. I’ll start with a master list of everything I need/want to get done and work from there. At the very least, maybe it’ll be a reminder of what I can be doing instead of playing mindless games.
Happy writing.
Even a bad idea is better than no idea at all.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
WORDAGE REPORT
Well, I was pretty much treading water, as far as writing went last week. But all things considered, it was a busy week so just keeping up is good enough for me.
NEW WORDS:
Blog Posts – 1,603+579+473+648=3,303
Poetry – Poetry – 181 (included in blog post)
Total words: 3,303
Goals For Next Week:
Try and add in some extra words to that total.
EDITING:
3 pages
Yowsa! I had a lot of good intentions, where editing was concerned, but good intentions don’t produce pages. This is getting ridiculous! How long have I been editing this book now? I think it’s time to smarten up and aim for a Christmas release.
Goal For Next Week:
Step up the editing pace on Magickal Mayhem.
MARKETING:
*sigh* No Marketing. Yeah, I’m not even going there this time.
Goal For Next Week:
Submit two flash stories and one poem.
TECH & TRAINING:
Well, technically nothing new here, but I did get a message from Dropbox telling me the extra space I got when I bought my Lenovo (that I didn’t even know I had) was about to expire and what did I want to do about it. And then, just yesterday, I got a message from McAfee telling me my subscription was automatically renewed. You know, the subscription Staples screwed up so that I couldn’t access it so I paid for Avast instead. *sigh*
Goal For Next Week:
Figure out if I can make enough use out of Dropbox to warrant paying for it; figure out which virus protection I want to keep and get a refund for the other.
POETRY WEDNESDAY:
I shared an invented form, the Cascade, last week. It was a really interesting form to work with and I enjoyed working on my examples.
And I’m still contemplating a poetry anthology, or maybe that will be two – one of traditional forms, and one of non-traditional forms. Or maybe it’ll just be one anthology of all forms, and I’ll divide into two sections. Or maybe alternate traditional with non-traditional. So many poems to choose from.
Goal For Next Week:
Find a new form to share and figure out the anthology.
CRAFTING:
I finished the pansies on the first of my pillowcases and I picked out the colours for the border. Then I realized that the border is too faint to see in some places. I didn’t want to cut up the original transfer and mess it up for future use, so I traced the parts I’d need onto tracing paper, and then went over it (from the back) with a transfer pencil.
Then the next problem popped up. In embroidering the pansies, I altered the structural integrity of the pillowcase. In other words, I can’t just lay the transfer overtop and have everything line up properly. I’m going to have to do it one section at a time. So . . . I think I’ll embroider as much as the border as I can, then iron on the remaining one section at a time, embroidering as I go along.
Once again I did not get the sewing machine set up and working again, so I did not get my skirt and blouse finished. And now I’ve got some hemming from my father-in-law to add to the mix. Not to mention there are a couple of other skirts I’ll love to make for fall. *sigh*
I did make some progress on the cancer afghan, and I figured out a better colour scheme for it without having to rip out anything I’ve done so far. AND I visited the yarn shop and found some beautiful variegated yarn to make a sweater to go with my skirt (if I ever get it finished). So that will be my next TV needlework project.
Goal For Next Week:
Keep working on the pillowcase. Work on the cancer afghan. Get the sewing machine working and finish my skirt and blouse.
WHAT I’M READING:
Still haven’t updated my Goodreads account – I’m really going to hate myself when I finally get around to it.
Finished reading The Lost Girl Found. by Maisey Yates. It was an interesting blend of family and what the mind is capable of to protect itself. Loved the different personalities of the sisters and how even with the age differences they stayed close.
I actally went a couple of days without reading anything, but then yesterday I picked up Book Lovers by Emily Henry. This was recommended to me by my daughter and so far she hasn’t led me astray.
Goal For Next Week:
Suck it up and update my Goodreads account!
GOAL REVIEW:
No extra words, but I did get all my regular words done, and like I said earlier, it was a busy week so that’s not too bad. But I did try spreading things out a little more – a bit here and a bit there, and I think that’s how I managed to keep on top of everything.
No tech or training, but I confess I did spend a little more time on mindless games than I’d like. And I forgot all about the shredding I keep promising myself I’m going to do.
The craft room project is on hold until we’re ready for a dump run – there’s not much I can do in there until I’m able to get rid of the futon parts and some of the other bigger, useless stuff. I am hoping to take a load of donations to the thrift store this week – mostly clothes and books. Yes, that’s right. Books!
I should probably start writing down some of my plans so I can prioritize them. And on that note, I was considering going back to lists to help clarify what I wanted to get done with other aspects of my life. I’ll start with a master list of everything I need/want to get done and work from there. At the very least, maybe it’ll be a reminder of what I can be doing instead of playing mindless games.
Happy writing.
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