Question: When do you get your best ideas?
When do you get your best writing ideas? Do you sit down to write and the words flow or do you think of ideas at the most inconvenient times–like when you’re trying to fall asleep, work out, or drive.
Please discuss your responses to this question in the comments. Note: you can respond directly to other comments by clicking the “Reply” link in the bottom right corner of each comment.
(Credit for this discussion question goes to Amber.)
Special Note: The giveaway winner will be announced this afternoon.
March 18th, 2009 at 3:25 am
I get a lot of ideas when I’m dreaming or when I can’t actually find paper. I used to write on my arms and napkins when I was younger.
March 18th, 2009 at 3:37 am
Ideas always seem to come to me when I least expect them. For that reason, I carry around a small moleskin notebook that I use to jot down ideas about all sorts of things. It helps avoid the frustration of coming up with an idea only to forget it shortly after.
March 18th, 2009 at 4:23 am
I also carry around a notebook at all times for random ideas or notes to myself. I love it, because otherwise I would totally forget.
March 18th, 2009 at 9:47 am
I should do this. I get ideas at the strangest times and then I don’t have anywhere to write them down. I have a good memory, but for some reason these little moments of inspiration get lost in my head.
March 18th, 2009 at 3:47 am
I always get idea when I’m in the shower, drifting off to sleep or, damn it, on the toilet. I recently blogged ’10 things to write on in an emergency’ as a result of my inability to come up with anything at an appropriate time!
March 18th, 2009 at 4:24 am
I could never just sit down with a blank document, and come up with an idea. My ideas definitely come to me at the most random times.
March 18th, 2009 at 5:42 am
I definitely seem to get the best idea’s just as I’m drifting off to sleep. It usually starts by me thinking about what I’m going to blog about the next day, then I get a great idea and don’t want to forget it so I have to get up, turn the light on and jot the idea down in my journal that I keep by the bed! I used to try and tell myself that I’d remember the idea and just to go to sleep, but I’d always wake up the next morning having forgot the entire thing, so I don’t let myself do that anymore!
March 18th, 2009 at 6:38 am
I want to put a notebook by my bed. I think that would come in handy for the random ideas that I’ll wake up in the middle of the night with sometimes.
Then again, that would require me to wake up to at least a point to write…. likely? ehhh…I don’t know.
March 18th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Haha, good point Katie.
I’ve never woke up in the middle of the night with any very coherent ideas and if I did I don’t think I’d have the energy to write them down!
March 18th, 2009 at 5:48 am
My best ideas come first thing in the morning, during my drive to work. I also try to receive inspriation from the world around me, so family, dates with Irish, girls’ nights and etc. I’ve started making notes on post-its if I’m at the office, back of receipts if I’m out shopping. I can’t say that all the notes turn into stories, but at least I have respository of stories/ideas if I ever need them.
March 18th, 2009 at 6:26 am
My best ideas come when I’m in the worst moods. Of course its those moments when I’m most focused on solutions.
Also, I tend to get ideas when I’m somewhere when I can’t act on them. I’d get them in a meeting at work, or in Church or something along those lines. I can only imagine how many ideas I’ve lost…
March 18th, 2009 at 6:32 am
I always think of something awesome in the shower, whether it’s something I’d like to write about or a snappy comeback I should have said. I guess it makes sense. I’m a mother of two toddlers. The only time I’m alone with my thoughts I’m in the bathroom!
March 18th, 2009 at 6:45 am
My best ideas, more or less, come when I sit down and start to work. They are something I work into discovering. But then as I get going, they just flow and come naturally. Perhaps the light of the computer screen is a kind of illuminating light for me?
March 18th, 2009 at 9:14 am
My best ideas just come out of no where. It doesn’t matter the time of day or what I’m doing. It’s like an “A HA!” moment and the light bulb goes off. It could be some random memory that makes me smile. It could be me trying to be funny and actually laugh out loud. It could be something that’s happening before me. It’s very random, which pretty much explains my blog; random.
March 18th, 2009 at 11:19 am
I usually get my best ideas while watching TV. Or while driving. Or when I’m really anywhere but at my computer. I’m always texting my email with things that pop into my head so that I don’t forget them.
March 18th, 2009 at 11:27 am
I get my best ideas when I’m alone-taking a shower, in bed, or even if I’m at the store but by myself. If I have time to just think about all the randomness of my life and the world, then I get lots of ideas. Not all of them good, but I get them.
March 18th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Most of my ideas come when I am listening to music. I see a story in my head or a random scene about someone. If I am in the writing mood, but don’t have any ideas at the moment, I will put on my ipod and listen to it on random. About after the first few songs I am writing up a storm. There are even a few songs that I relate with certian chapters or character’s moods.
I also get ideas when I am driving by myself, sitting in rush hour traffic. Those times are when I come up with the best ideas and I try to scribble down the idea between stop and go’s.
March 18th, 2009 at 11:32 am
I get most of my ideas when I’m doing something where it is totally inconvenient to stop and write an idea down. Like, at work, or when I’m in the shower. However, I think I also do my best writing when I’m on a deadline or time limit. Where I absolutely MUST produce something.
March 18th, 2009 at 11:34 am
i come up with a lot of poetry lines when i’m driving. there’s actually a book about this called “Flow” that explains why we get our best ideas while driving, jogging, showering, going to the bathroom, washing dishes, etc etc. it’s not just a phenomenon, it’s something most people experience!
March 18th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
My best ideas often come to me when I’m trying to fall asleep. For work related stuff, it happens just as I’m leaving the office. Not cool. Like a lot of you, I used to carry a small notebook everywhere. For some reason I haven’t been doing that lately, but I’m definitely adding a notebook to my shopping list.
Also, for some reason I seem to get better ideas when I’m writing in a cute notebook, with a unique pen, etc. I suppose that’s where my weakness for decorative office supplies comes from.
Does anyone have favorite places to buy unique/decorative notebooks and pens??
March 18th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
My ideas simply fall into my head at any random time. When it comes to writing a full blown novel, generally I don’t need to note down the idea straight away, because I know that if it’s a good enough idea, I’ll be able to remember it… But when it comes to details for an already formulated story, then I have to brainstorm like crazy.
I often get ideas by listening to music. If I already know the general scenes and the structure that the novel will take, I can imagine it as a screenplay, with a certain song playing in the background… It really helps.
March 18th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
I love to walk around campus while hearing music I like, the colors are so vibrant and everything smells so nice!, I sit with music and trees around me, I write everything I feel, its so liberating!
For more serious writing I have a word document and a notebook of topics I talk before classes with my class mates or in classes perse, you should see what interesting things I can came with in my philosophy class.
March 18th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I usually get my best ideas when I’m supposed to be doing something really dull at work, and then i just write about what I’m thinking and postpone what I’m supposed to write about for work till after lunch time.
March 18th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
I get my best ideas when I’m focused on something that doesn’t require much thought. For instance, when I’m walking around the library where I work retrieving books. I’m focused on getting the right call numbers, but it doesn’t occupy all of my mind. That’s when the ideas hit me.
March 19th, 2009 at 12:05 am
You hit it right on the head- my ideas ALWAYS come when I’m trying to fall asleep. Frustrating, really.
March 20th, 2009 at 8:54 am
I think I come up with my best ideas either when i’m in transit, or when i’m in bed about to go to sleep. both are sort of bad times, i guess.
by “in transit” i think i generally mean when i’m in a car or on some form up public transportation, there’s good music playing, and i have time to just watch the world go by out of my window. i’ve come up with entire story lines during this time. this is probably why i don’t mind the fact that i have an hour commute one way just to get to school.
the only problem with having great ideas when i’m in bed about to go to sleep is that i’m just too lazy to get up and write those ideas down. last night was a great example. i pretty much wrote an entire blog post in my head last night before i fell asleep. i didn’t write it down, and now i can’t remember how it even started. maybe i should start keeping a journal on my nightstand…