What if...

 Just some random thoughts to start the week.

What if:

- Every adult could spend 15 minutes a day solving problems

    - A web site dedicated to solvable issues was available to the World

    - Status of who is working on the issue/problem and possible progress, how they are attacking it

    - History of the problem, failed solutions, references to relevant users/needy/etc

    - Discussion area

    - List of problems solved, who (if they want recognition)  and how

- I only had to exercise once a week for 15 minutes to look like did at 25. Is that really too much to ask?

- All religious leaders agreed on a set of tenets that included everyone and recognized all faiths

- I didn't need compression socks

- We truly had a separation of Church and State in the US

- I could have a martini at night without feeling guilty

- Good Politicians stayed in office and Bad Politicians didn't

- I only had to get up once in the night to pee

- We valued living a good life over owning stuff we're just going to sell at the next garage sale

OK, fine. I mixed a few of my personal gripes in there with the others. I'm human. 

So there!

Writing in the rain

 Well, not actually 'in' the rain, I guess. I'm snug in my Writer's Den while it's drizzling outside. Poetic license, you know.

The sound of rain falling on the roof and the distant thunder are quite soothing, actually. They somehow help me focus on my WIP, letting me fall into that cool, creative cocoon I love so much. I can sip my coffee or hot matcha tea and step right into the world I'm creating, walking alongside my characters as they struggle to navigate their way through life.

The struggle, of course, is what makes their story interesting. With no struggle to overcome it's just a boring, day to day trip from sun up to sun down. OK, maybe not totally boring, I look forward to my oatmeal in the morning and Colbert at night. But repetition can dull the senses quickly. How many times have you said to yourself 'Didn't I just do this yesterday?'. You know you have.

I've also started (yes, again) going through my stack of notebooks. I have always been a 'write it down before I forget it' guy.  It's a bonus and a problem. 

The bonus is I can review those thoughts, use the good ones and X-out the bad ones. My notebooks are full of Xs. I have LOTS of weird, late night/early morning ideas. I don't erase them because I've gone back and actually used some of those 'bad' ideas in some modified form. I don't ignore them, I just don't need them 'right now'.

The problem is I have to reread these ideas frequently to see what wacky brain-fart I had 2 weeks ago and then forgot to review it the next day. For me anyway, writing it down tends to erase it from short-term memory. I need to revisit it the next morning or I forget that I got up at 3 AM to write it down!

I wonder of King or Rowling have this problem? ;-)

It helps that I transfer good ideas to my storylines in my existing Word docs, usually at the end of the docs under an 'IDEAS' section. At least that way I don't have to keep rereading my notes each time I want to work on a story. These ideas I draw 2 Xs over to remind me I've used them in a story.

It's probably not the most productive way to write, but it's the way my brain works, so I just go with what feels right.

Another reason I not an award-winning author, too scatter-brained! ;-) 

Here's something I can relate to... (kudos to the creator, since it was not me)

Go forth, my friends, and create!