Why I Need A Dry Erase Board In My Shower

The funny thing about inspiration is you never know exactly when it will strike.

Below is am email conversation I had today with my writing partner. By the way, we're both Michele. To clear the mud I'm Michele B and she's Michele D.  Writers that we are, we appreciate the comedy of the name situation.

writing 12 messages

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Michele B	Thu, May 17, 2012 at 9:12 AM
To: Michele D

Hey where were you last night?  I was on until about 9ish.... Saw you wrote 800 words!  That's awesome!  You have to be inches from the finish line now! In the shower this morning I finally came up with a hook for Treasures, I think. :)

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Michele	Thu, May 17, 2012 at 10:40 AM
To: Michele Buchholz
No - I only got 1 file on chapt 18. Thanks for looking at it - as I was going to sleep last night, I realized there were a couple things I need to insert in that chapter - just a few things here and there but I always think of them on my way to sleep (as in, I don't want to turn my light on to write it down, so I think I'll remember it and then never do. I'm hoping I'll think of it as I'm doing revisions. It would be so much more convenient if I could think of them in the shower like you do. But no, my brain doesn't work that way)  :)

Michele Buchholz	Thu, May 17, 2012 at 10:43 AM
To: Michele
Funny you think that about the shower.  I jump out dripping, soak my floor and mat, then drip all over my dresser while I write it down... That's if I get out and write it down.  Otherwise I do the same, repeat it hoping my goldfish memory will hold it until I"m done. :) Today I jumped out and wrote it down!

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Michele	Thu, May 17, 2012 at 11:26 AM
To: Michele Buchholz
Ok, so clearly there is no best way. Usually I'm so sleepy and warm and I'm almost ready to slide under and I just don't want to mess that up. Darn brain! Why do they do that to us? Maybe you could find a whiteboard that won't wash off - then you could just write the idea down without getting out. :)

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Michele Buchholz	Thu, May 17, 2012 at 11:58 AM
To: Michele
That is a fabulous idea!

So, let this be a lesson for all of you linear, mathematical, engineer types. Writers, well, we're creative, spontaneous and innovative.  You have been warned. The bathroom floor may be wet, and there just might be marker or pen on unusual surfaces.  Just know, it is for the greater good of the human imagination.

Where was the strangest place that inspiration took hold of you?  What did you do about it?

Shiny New Idea: Do Your Stakes Standout?

When some writers get a shiny new idea (SNI) they sit down and type up an outline for the entire story. Me? I so can't do that. I attempted an outline one time, but it didn't work, so I went back to what I do best. Wingin' it. Okay, well maybe not completely wing it, since I type up a rough query first before I start on the manuscript, but I definitely sit down with an open mind.

In my rough query, I try to come up with a blurb of my idea that shows the stakes and plot. If it sounds good--something I'd pick up and read off the shelf, then I move on. It helps me to write a short blurb before I get going and pass it on to my trusted beta readers to see if it's a story that intrigues them before I put too much time into something I realize completely sucks (I have been known to write a 50k MS in a month.)

When you query, a lot of times you'll hear things from agents like plot holes and stakes. That's why it is so important to establish these things when you start your manuscript, because they may make or break your chances at getting an agent. So don't be afraid to talk with your beta's about SNIs. They may be able to help you establish a soild plot and stakes.

So my writer friends, care to share how you establish plot and stakes for a SNI?