I find myself in a space where my brain feels like it has multiple tabs open, all of which are working against the creative juices needed for me to sit down and concentrate on whatever I’m working on as a writer. One trick I have to get me into that creative headspace, is that I’ll watch some of my favorite author episodes from MasterClass and listen to well established authors I respect talk about the craft. This weekend, I chose James Patterson’s episode to revisit.

When he started talking about ideas and where they come from, he referenced a thick folder filled with ideas he’ll refer back to when he’s ready to work on a new book. It reminded me of a story a colleague told me recently. I’d spotted a copy of On Writing by Stephen King on their desk, which led to them telling me about a friend of theirs, a writer whose goal is to publish a book a year, who takes daily neighborhood walks just to brainstorm.

While I don’t have a folder of ideas, I do have various notebooks within reach (on my nightstand, on the coffee table, in my purse) not to mention the notes app on my phone that comes in handy when an idea hits me during the drive to work and I can just dictate it to Siri.

I’ve never had a shortage of ideas to write, more of a shortage of time to actually write them. The biggest challenge I have is when I’m nearing the end of one piece of work, and a persistent new idea doesn’t want to leave me alone, threatening my ability to finish what I’m currently working on. I remember googling this phenomenon prior to ever publishing, about what to do when a writer has too many ideas. The answer that Google gave me was first, don’t tell other writers as they would be jealous, and second, jot them down for later on. Hence, all the notebooks and notes app.

Anyway, I guess I’m done procrastinating for the day and should get back to that one idea that won with its persistence, pushing my third novel aside so my novella, We Stayed Until The Sky Fell, could come out.