Somewhere between the shampoo and the conditioner the idea hit me: the perfect solution to the plot problem I’d been wrangling with the past few weeks.
My mind zeroed in on different scenarios. “And then the hero could do THIS. Woo-hoo, wouldn’t the heroine hate that? She’d react like this… And then in the next chapter I could bring in so-and-so…”
My 11-year-old rapped on the bathroom door. “Mom, are you ready to drive me to school?”
“Um… yeah. Just a second.”
I shut off the shower and wrapped myself in a towel, quickly memorizing the ideas so they wouldn’t dissipate like the fog from the mirror.
I think most readers imagine their favorite authors sitting and typing away at their computers (or old vintage typewriters), composing scene after brilliant scene. Unfortunately, the best ideas often come when we’re least prepared for them–in the shower, on a walk, in the middle of carpool, washing the dishes.
One time I was scratching down notes during a church sermon when my husband leaned over and whispered, “What are you doing?” I’m not typically a fill-in-the-blank kind of girl.
“I’m plotting,” I hissed back. Probably a hair too loud.
The visitor sitting in front of us glanced over her shoulder with a horrified expression.
A professor of mine, back in college, called it the “Peanut Butter and Jelly Theory.” He talked about wrestling with a particularly difficult academic paper. After hours of frustration, he went to the kitchen to make a sandwich. As he spread the peanut butter, the answer hit him out of the blue. His study tip? Always keep a jar of peanut butter in your dorm room.
Why does it happen that way? We sit down at the computer and turn on the imagination faucet and the pipes only groan. A drip or two of rusty water emerges. The moment we step away–clear our minds, move our bodies–the ideas rush in like a flood.
So, out of curiosity–where do you get YOUR best ideas? It could be for writing, life problems, math homework, whatever. Share them in the comments below. The best one will earn a completely imaginary, virtual peanut butter sandwich. Yum!
And does anyone know where I can buy a waterproof computer?
Also in the shower.
Cintia
Blogger, A Saving Love…that will change a Child’s Life!
Cintia@ASavingLove.com | http://www.asavinglove.com
Another vote for the shower! I wonder why that is… Is it the water, or what? 🙂
Shower for sure! The other day I went to jump in for a quick five minute wash down before taking my daughter to her science class…when I jumped out, I saw 15 minutes had passed! I had been character developing 🙂 Great blog, Karen. We’re fellow book reviewers for Sherry Kyle. Glad I found you. Your book sounds thrilling.
Hi Laura! Thanks for dropping by! I love Sherry’s writing and so does my daughter. 🙂 I went to peek at your blog and spotted your post about Mount Hermon. I was there this year, too, but I had my nose buried in my computer most of the time, finishing edits on Mistaken. I hope to go again this year. Do you think you’ll attend again?