Lightbulbs and Lighting Strikes
On finding those elusive ideas that light you up
As I write this newsletter, a storm is raging outside. A streak of lightning just lit up my room and the subsequent thunder pounded overhead, droning on for at least thirty seconds. We have had a mighty rain season this year in Mexico City, storms coming almost daily, turning the sky dark way before sunset.
It is good for writing, I find it inspiring. My favourite time for rain is just as I am getting into bed, the sounds of the drops pounding overhead when I am cosy and warm does something to my soul.
I was sitting watching the rain a few days ago, thinking about what I might write to you all about this month. As the raindrops ran races down my window and splashed off the windowsills, before drying up ten minutes later as the sun came back out, I started thinking about inspiration and the often illusiveness of ideas. Ideas, it seems, can arrive and leave just as fast as a Mexico City rainstorm.
I thought of those ideas that come in the night, that I am sure I will remember in the morning, but that turn out to be as ephemeral as dreams a few minutes after waking. I pondered as to whether those ideas return later, or if they shoot off to find someone else who is prepared to get out of bed and write them down?
A number of mentoring clients have come to me saying they are struggling to come up with ideas. Working with them to find out what they really want to write about is one of my favourite things. I know that feeling when it seems like there are just no ideas in your brain and I always trust that that feeling is an illusion.
Turns out, a few simple questions can lead my mentees to talk very clearly about the things that are important to them and the subjects that spark their interest. It is always so fun to mirror back all the threads that tie people’s passions together. From there, ideas emerge with ease, they are often already in the space.
Here are a few starter questions that I always find helpful
1) What was your favourite subject at school/university? Were there any topics that really captured you, that you spent hours researching even though the essay you were supposed to be writing was about something else entirely?
2) What fascinates you now? What subjects do you always bookmark, what podcast do you listen to first? What stories do you find yourself gravitating to? Write the first 5 things that come to your mind.
3) If you had another life how would you live it? What job would you do? Who would you be? Where would you live? As a writer, you get to dip into other worlds when reporting articles or living vicariously through characters in novels. What would you like to experience?
4) What causes do you really care about? What makes you angry? What makes you sad? What makes you laugh uncontrollably? Write the first 3 things that come to mind.
(It is generally really useful to have someone mirror your answers back to you. We are so used to our own thoughts that we can miss things that will be loud and clear to someone listening carefully to you)
Have a look at your answers, can you see any themes that run through them? Did anything light you up when you were writing it down, did anything make you want to take action? Your answers should help guide you in finding the things that you really want to write about.
I would love to hear how this exercise went for you. Hit reply and let me know, or feel free to leave a comment.
Recommendations:
A few things I have enjoyed recently
Tarot for Creativity: A few weeks back, I took an incredibly fun taster session run by Pip Cards Tarot, about using tarot for creativity. Her Instagram page has loads of fun spreads and is packed with tips. Using the tarot in this way can be another great way to spark ideas.
Writing Craft: This article Stop Telling Writers to Show, Not Tell was an interesting take on “how a well meaning piece of advice gets twisted around.”
Podcast: The latest Radio 4, Open Book Podcast, looks at ideas and where they come from.
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Interesting questions, and love the b&w photo. Gracias!