Out of thin air

Sometimes even I wonder where I get my book ideas from. One time, I started a book based on a very weird dream I had. It was too freaky not to become the germ of a story :) About half the time, I have a theme or specific directive I need to tie a story into. The story I'm currently working on is for the DNW group. We built the shared world together, so my story elements had to conform with the world. However, I got to choose the time period for my story and the "family" line for my characters. These two elements are what really drove the story development. The "family" of my main characters are relatively well known, and certain characteristics of the family helped me to build the base for Tera and Darius. I even chose their names because of their meanings.

You can see I use a lot of little layers in my stories, and I think that's really how they come about. I get a germ of an idea and just keep painting on the layers until the story snowballs. It can be quite fun, and frustrating.

BICHOK

Ever heard that? Probably not. BICHOK is writer-ese for "Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard". And yet, I still have a hard time getting there. My excuse is for every time I wrangle myself out of extending a commitment, another one comes down the pike. People often ask me how on earth I juggle so many balls between my day profession, my writing life, and my personal life. My answer: I know which ones are rubber. And I know when they change material.

During July, my writing was totally rubber. With my personal commitments completed, and a time sensitive nature (in my mind) for the completion of a story, writing has turned back into glass. Since I was a little kid, I've listened to music to block out all other distractions when I need to focus on a project. The music changes depending on what I'm working on. Lately, I've found the "Move Along" album by The All-American Rejects has a perfect beat for me to write to. I also tend to write later at night. This is because I'm in no way a morning person, and I have a day job :) So, that's it for me.

I was going to post a picture...

...but my desk is still a mess. It's piled with papers I either need to file or shred. I like my desk for writing because I've gotten used to sitting at a computer when I'm writing. Even when I'm using my PDA and portable keyboard, I need to be at a table. I put my earphones on and set my iPod to my "JustMusic" playlist and put my mind to writing. My desk sits in a corner of the living room of my apartment, unfortunately within easy reach of the TV. Heck, my computer is continuously connected to the Internet, another perpetual distraction. Unlike Sherrill, I don't have a second bedroom to turn into an office (though I'd *love* one). At least my desk is out of my bedroom which was my previous living arrangement.

While I do my writing at my desk, the majority of my ideas come to me either in the shower or as I'm falling asleep. Sometimes I remember to keep a pad of paper and pen on hand by my bed, but only rarely. What I'd love to find is something I could write notes on in the shower. Anyone have any ideas?