The A-Z Blogging Challenge has been helpful. The structure of coming up with blog posts that begin with corresponding letters of the alphabet appeals to me.
I confess to being hit with writers block on occasion, even though I don't fully understand the concept. See, I'm not sure I know the difference between writers block and lack of motivation. I don't think there is a difference for me.
I have a head full of ideas so I doubt it's writers block I suffer from. I've got ideas scribbled on scraps of paper, texted to myself, recorded into my cell phone. Still, sometimes I can't write. None of the ideas strike my fancy at the time and I can't think of any ideas that do.
And while we're on the subject, what is a muse? How does a muse fit into all of this?
When faced with lack of ideas/writers block/no motivation/a missing muse, I free write. As I pondered this conundrum a few months ago (and could not force myself to even write the ABC's), I scribbled out a poem on the subject. Overcoming Writers Block.
Earlier today I was thinking about an I blog post and ideas seemed like a natural choice. So I'll ask the questions of you fine writers.
How do you come up with topic ideas for articles? What about story ideas? Blog post ideas?
It sounds as if we have similar habits. I have hundreds (thousands?) of ideas but lose the motivation almost immediately after adding one to the list. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI always have plenty of ideas, but very often not enough time to work on them. Once the time has passed, my ability to work on an idea is unlikely to work, I have to be in the mood.
ReplyDeleteSome of my best articles never made it past the idea stage. I have written them in my head before getting out of bed, but when I fail to write them there and then, I know they will never make it.
I'm all over the place. An idea can be triggered by a TV commercial, a post I see on Facebook or a question of my own. My critters and home/garden are fodder for my blogs more often than not, but I really have no set 'go to' place for ideas.
ReplyDeletePopping in by way of the A-Z Challenge. I’m blogging at:
Write, Wrong or Indifferent
Marie Anne’s Missives
In the Garden With Sow-n-Sow
Every Day Crochet
Haha, I'm with you on the muse bit. I never really figured anyone else wrote from my head but me. I don't have one. I just write. Cool article - good food for thought.
ReplyDeleteI thought I was the only one! I can be very enthusiastic when I get an idea, but when I actually sit down to write, somehow things have changed. Not all the time, but sometimes. Thanks, Langley. I met you through A-Z. My blog is http://www.betterthanordinary.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteMy ideas can come from the strangest places. And one idea can often leading to many more. Great post :)
ReplyDeleteI this is often the case.
ReplyDeleteI agree that sometimes it's a lack of motivation (or lack of direction) instead of really "writer's block." I've found the A-Z Challenge pretty easy when it comes to picking topics since I went with a theme of mythological and folkloric creatures. =)
ReplyDeleteI couldn't tell you where my ideas come from. My brain is one vast space of gas. It farts out unplanned plots, characters, and topics.
ReplyDelete