I'm teaching a group of young script writers and the first thing I had them do was make a poster of where ideas come from. I stopped myself from getting on the floor and adding my thoughts to their poster. But, first, getting on the ground and then getting back up again is growing more difficult and secondly I wanted them to come up with the ideas. It didn't take them long. For me, I'm relegated to my blog to talk about where my ideas come from. So here's a list!

There are other ways I get ideas. Such as settings (Done in Down Under). Seeing something or someone. There's the question method: "I wonder what would happen if...", "Why would someone want to...", "Where would a large group of people hang out?" Sometimes ideas just come because I sat down and told my brain that I couldn't get out of the chair until I had at least a paragraph, and if I went all the way to a page, I'd let myself have a big bowl of ice cream. It's funny how I can bribe myself to come up with an idea! 

Most recently I wanted to write a short children's musical. Here's how the brain went--High School Musical is set at a school but I want this to be about kids in elementary...High School Musical had a spoof, High School Non-Musical...Elementary School Musical? No, I don't want it to be about kids auditioning for a musical, nor a spoof of HS Musical...It's Elementary...that sounds good...it sounds like Sherlock Holmes...like a mystery...what could be a mystery at an elementary? I don't want just a theft of a pencil or the like...a petnapping!...the classroom pet is missing...and I want four songs...something about having an alibi, something about being a detective...a chase scene, it has to have a Chase song...the finale should be the title It's Elementary. Then I had to write the whole thing. But I love the play and I love how it's coming...oh, I happen to be in the midst of directing it too. 
If you happen to be reading this before July 19 and 20, 2016, you're welcome to come see it! It's part of the Midsummer Shows at Children's Educational Theatre.

If you write, what do you do for ideas?

There are days that I can't think what to add to a conversation or a blog, for that matter. Perhaps those are the days to be silent and just listen. And yet I haven't posted a blog entry in months. So, I ask myself, "Do you have absolutely nothing to say? What have you been thinking about?" I think about conversations I've recently had, such as yesterday when I had a three hour conversation with an old friend of mine. (Not that she's old). I had a conversation with a grown son. We didn't run out of opinions and thoughts the whole time he was on the phone. In spite of a sore throat, I talk and talk and talk with my husband when we're together. That could be one of the reasons I can't get rid of my laryngitis. If it's the right conversation, ideas will spark, thoughts will fly and conversations will flow. Same goes for writing. Sometimes I have to just get started and ideas will spark, thoughts will fly, and the typing gets going. Sometimes it's not waiting to be inspired and then going to the computer to type. Sometimes it's going to the computer first and just starting. The same thing happens when I'm trying to make up a mime skit. I have to be moving before the routine will actually show itself completely. 
​Sometimes I just have to start.

Today I passed a quote in a middle school hallway: "You can do it!" it encouraged. I've seen many a quote, meme, poster and inspirational people on YouTube whose basic message is "You can do it!" I've seen the message geared for elementary students on up to centenarians.

When I ask "must I be reminded?" I don't mean, "Puh-lease, I never want to see that saying again!" I mean, "I wonder how many times I have to see it before I believe it. And when will I be able to believe it without seeing it?"

WHO KEEPS TAKING THE ADVENTUROUS "LET ME TRY THAT" SPIRIT OUT OF PEOPLE? Well, I suppose there will always be detractors. I could listen to them if I wanted. Sometimes my own worst critique is me. I suppose there are times I shouldn't listen to me either.

But if there are detractors then there must also be CHEER TEAMS who encourage us forward, even when we're stumbling. There might be times when I'm my only cheer squad. I don't want to cheer myself into doing something stupid, such as going 95 mph on a slick road, but I SHOULD listen to the encouraging cheers (from self and others) who get me going in the right direction. 

I CAN DO THIS!
When I do, no matter how long it takes, I will celebrate.

Just in case you need a reminder to move in a positive direction: You can do this. You got it. GO YOU!

The other day while spending time on WasteBook--I mean, Facebook, I realized all I was doing was scrolling mindlessly, looking at beautiful photos and wishing I could see something like that, and watching videos that were tidbits of nothing (unless they were of family). And I had to ask myself:

Where would you like to live? In the virtual world* or in the real one? If you lived in the real one, what kind of real fun could you have? What kind of real people could you meet or help or enjoy? What real dawns and sunsets would you see vs. other people’s pictures? If you take yourself out of the virtual world, what could you really accomplish?**

*Virtual world by definition would be UNREAL. That would not be a good place to live.
**I love books and I don't find that reading them is a waste of time but time well-spent, even though the books may be fiction.

I finished writing my fantasy novel White Fire. I finished formatting it for ebook-hood. I got it uploaded to Smashwords and Amazon. I set the date for it's premier opening (I do theater; it's hard not to associate things in theater terms. For instance, I had job auditions, not interviews. I digress). I told family and friends about the pre-order time period. Then it went live yesterday.
What the heck have I been doing with my writing since then?!
AGAIN! AGAIN!
I'm supposed to be working on:
a book I'm adapting into a musical. (Distant Serenade by Michael McLean)
editing White Fire's sequel. (The Search for Sethrum's Children, tentative title)
a humorous contemporary book I want to finish asap. (Bertie's Lasting Legacy)

So, it's time to start writing - diligently, industriously, daily - again, again!
And next time, in fear of having to recall the Teletubbies, maybe I won't "rest" for a month before plunging into the next project! May you all learn from my sad experience and keep at whatever you're supposed to be keeping at, rather than having to start ranting, "Again, again!"

I have a quotes collection. When I find a quote I love, I create a baseball-card size of it in my document program, complete with a background graphic and print it out on cardstock. After cutting it out, I put it in my quotes notebook which is a folder of those plastic baseball card holders.
But I have to say, with Facebook and Google +, I'm starting to HATE QUOTES. There's just an overabundance of them. Some of them are funny; some are deep; some are just there. But, gadzooks, must we post every single one we ever see? And, I must add, are any of those quotes making a difference in our own lives; as in, are we acting on them? If I post a quote about creativity, it better because I'm out to be more creative. If I post a quote about being kinder, I would hope it's because I'm going to try to be just that. If I'm reading or posting even just a handful everyday, what on earth do I still have time for?  It seems like the theme of many quotes is living life well and to the fullest and with the people you love. If I'm constantly reading quotes, I won't be doing any of that. So today, I'll do and be and love, without all the quotes.

The other day, a friend mentioned his wife is always late. I understood. I mentioned that I have the same problem because there's always one more thing to be done. I hate to waste five minutes on waiting around to leave so I'll start something that I think I can accomplish in five minutes. Ten minutes later I'm exceeding the speed limit, trying to catch up on time already used. My friend said that he makes a list of the things that need to be done that day; he prioritizes. I said I do too--I make lists. He said he keeps his lists to those items that will work within his time frame (such as his 8, 9, 10-hour day). He said his lists are realistic...Ooohhhh! Is that how it works?

Something good happened when things changed. Ack! Changes! Scary. Rather than write up a whole different post about it, go to my other blog (http://encountersinwritingandtheatre.blogspot.com/2013/12/shake-it-up.html) to read it. I'll have to see how I can apply my own blog to my writing...and life. (Eek.)