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Monday, July 23, 2012

Save it for Later


Do you have a file or a folder where you put your bits and pieces of writing to save for later?  Amazing first lines you thought of, a character sketch, an emotion you want to explore? A lot of times I put something in there and forget about it.  I suspect most of them will never get written because if it isn’t shouting down the roof it gets moved to the back of the queue.  The loudest idea gets written right?   

Every now and again I read through my file.  It’s always a surprise.  Some things I don’t remember.  At all.  I would suspect someone else put them in but most people know not to mess with my writing.  Some things I wonder why I bothered saving.  Some things I get excited about all over again.  The only consistent thing is that it’s interesting.  Like an outside view of how my mind works.  

 Not that I want to know how my mind works.  It’s kinda scary. 

28 comments:

  1. lol My mind is scary all the time. I have dozens of pieces of paper scattered all over my desk, not to mention files on my computer and notebooks at my fingertips. It's a nightmare, really.

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    1. If I write an idea on a scrap or in my notebook I try to move it to the computer at the first opportunity. My pockets are always full of scraps of papers with lists and what not on them and I loose too many to risk loosing a great idea.

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  2. Yes! My spiral notebooks are a treasure trove....As are the little bits and pieces jotted down on the grocery lists, sticky notes, etc., etc....You get the picture of my desk. LOL!

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    1. We should have all the bloggers take pictures of their desks. I bet we all have some of those things in common.

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  3. I keep a list of titles in a file on my computer. I know a lot of times titles get changed anyway, but behind the title was some sort of idea/thought that breezed through my head and stayed long enough to make me go hmmmmm...

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    1. Titles are hard for me to come up with but I have a few saved. I like that for you the title represents the idea, the substance of the story.

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  4. Like you, I have a folder where I jot things and save for later. I do it out of necessity--I forget almost everything if it's not written down, even the greatest of writing ideas.

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    1. I forget everything too. That's why I have to write it down.

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  5. Putting one of these on my computer would be great. Right now they get put in notebooks and sometimes those notebooks find their way into my kids' hands and disappear. I'm going to do this though. Like NOW!

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    1. Uh oh, I hate it when my notebooks disappear. I just bought my kids some notebooks so they wouldn't want to use mine.

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  6. Oh yeah! I have a "leftovers" folder. Mine is currently 42 pages long. LOL! It could be it's own book.

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    1. I have a cut scenes folder from my WIP. It's over 60K words. My bits and pieces to save for later is much smaller. Once I get a few scenes and a shape to it it gets moved to it's own folder.

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  7. I have a little yellow folder with all of my ideas, characters, etc. When I look back I see a lot that I am so looking forward to following through! Others...well they're a nice trip down memory lane :P

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    1. Lol, it is a nice trip down memory lane, and that's one reason to keep them.

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  8. I have a notebook full of story ideas, but not specific scenes or pieces of dialogue. Sounds like a good idea though! :)

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    1. I don't generally get story ideas, or plot lines, first. I see a character, hear a snippet of dialogue that sparks interest and I want to know more. That's cool that an idea for the story.

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  9. I just finished Anne Lamott's book Bird by Bird (on writing) and she wrote about index cards. My problem is I think I'll remember it, but my mind is like swiss cheese, and all those ideas go into a black hole, never to be found again!

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    1. I'm excited to read that book!

      I too have a swiss cheese memory, that's why I try to write them down. Try being the operative word.

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  10. You're right - I save everything, and sometimes when I go back I'm surprised at what I'd written. Sometimes pleasantly surprised, other times thinking 'boy am I a dork!'

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  11. Sara, I keep a folder of scenes or paragraphs I delete during revisions. I rarely go back for them, however. :)

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    1. Yes, I keep one of those too. It's almost as long as the book and I rarely look at it.

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  12. I used to write in a small notepad. I just realized I haven't done that in 3 years or more. Hmm. I'm not sure why. But you got me thinking, Sara. Thanks!

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    1. I sure hope making you think is a good thing. :)

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  13. I have so many notes on my phone it's frightening, LOL! Half of them don't even make sense :)

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    1. That's why I don't keep any on my phone. They would all be shortened and misspelled past recognition.

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  14. I write on all kinds of things, scrap paper, note pads what ever I find when the idea comes. Then I stuff these papers in a larger notepad. Plus, I have a file where I have bits of writings that pops into my head. The strangest is reading the stuff I scribbled down during the night when I'm half asleep! Talk about scary! LOL

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    1. You know, I never get anything in the middle of the night. Which is odd because I don't sleep well, you'd think I'd be having lots of ideas.

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