Be Prepared

Always, always, ALWAYS carry a pad of paper and a writing implement with you…

Yes, I mean at ALL times.

I’m not sure if I’m being clear enough here – but really, you should have paper and pen pasted to your person perpetually.

Why?

Because you just never know when that flash of inspiration, that GREAT IDEA, is going to come flying into your head.  And when it does, you must be ready for it.

How many times have you been out and about, minding your own business, when that perfect poem, fabulous character dialogue, or kick-butt story ending comes to you out of the blue?

Well, if you’re unprepared, the next thing you know you’re scrawling across perfectly good checks, your forearm, or your son’s stellar report card.

I am speaking from experience here.

And you can never really count on electronic devices to serve as your GREAT IDEA catchers. They’re too easily affected by dead batteries, sunspots, magnetic pole shifts, and dog spit.

Anyway, I was glad I had my trusty pad and pencil on Friday when a new GREAT IDEA came through as I was driving. Disclaimer: DO NOT draft and drive.

I was pretty pumped because the particular Muse that tends to appear only while I’m driving always produces favorable results –

And while all five of the poems she has offered in the past have been pretty religious in nature (yeah, I’m aware that that says something about my driving), every one of them has gone on to be published. Sweet fancy Moses!

Well, imagine my surprise on Friday when I learned that I’d actually been fired by that particular Muse.

I mean, that’s the only explanation that I can come up with.

Because this pressing piece of poetry, this thing that simply HAD TO BE WRITTEN (in a supermarket parking lot, at stoplights, and at speeds of 50MPH –See Disclaimer above) had NOTHING whatsoever to do with Jesus or Buddha or Krishna or some Great Big God...

and EVERYTHING to do with, well –

 

Banana slugs.

PROMPT: Have you ever experienced that pressing idea that simply HAD TO BE WRITTEN? Challenge yourself to carry a pad and pen all week to catch those GREAT IDEAS as they occur. Who knows, you may be lucky enough to find yourself trailed by a mollusk Muse, too!