Always have Pen and Paper-Tip#12

Dear Storyteller,

Always have Pen and Paper-Tip#12 is probably one of the most crucial tips for a writer.

Why?

Once you have your story down, your plot flowing, and your mind moving at a speed faster than you can think, you’re going to find yourself with a very definite need to always have pen and paper at your disposal. Because, from personal experience, something incredible always inevitably presents itself right when you’re least expecting it…or worse yet, when you’re least prepared for it.

But isn’t this archaic?

In this day and age, suggesting you always have pen and paper could be construed as Old School advice, BUT it is some of the best advice I was ever given…even at a time before I ever considered actually publishing anything I was writing.

Why is this great advice?

Mainly because you never know when inspiration is going to hit!

And for sure, you don’t want to get caught in the middle of a grocery aisle, strolling in the park, or watching TV, and then find yourself with a spark of brilliance that’s burning brighter…annnd there’s nowhere to record that Newberry Award-winning sentence, scene, or dialogue.

Trust me. It happens. Waaay too often.

So, always have pen and paper handy. Always.

Side note: What to do when inspiration hits annnd…

You’re in…the shower?? Gasp!

Yup. This has happened to me on multiple occasions. And sometimes, honestly, I don’t know about you, but, for me, it’s the best place to think.

My only advice is keep repeating the phrase or dialogue sequence throughout the remainder of your shower. Then immediately write it down once you’re out and dried off.

As long as I continuously repeat what I need to write down, I haven’t typically had any issues with remembering what I wanted to once my shower is over and done with.

Wait, aside from the side note, did I say when inspiration hits?

Yes. I unabashedly did. When is definitely the keyword here.

Okay, I hear what you’re thinking. Some of you may be saying in your head, or even out loud, that’s not great advice right there. I can’t believe she just said that. When inspiration hits? Everyone knows a good writer doesn’t wait for inspiration to hit. You just need to write. Sit down. Do it. End of story. Pssh. Cue in eye roll.

Wellll, sorry to burst your bubble if you’re in that camp, but I am totally and completely not of that ilk.

In fact, I’m a firm believer that you waste more time sitting down at the computer and forcing yourself to write when you don’t feel like it, as opposed to just enjoying life and then running to the keyboard to pound out your inspirational masterpieces when they do come. Or, since we’re on the topic of always having pen and paper…frantically scratching out those fantastic word choices, outlines of a scene, or bits of dialogue when they present themselves, wherever you may be the moment they arrive.

Why do I believe waiting for inspiration is best?

In truth, you waste less time using this method, and contrary to what you might be told or actually believe, you become more creative.

This all ties in with the whole idea of Plotting What Comes Next (Tip#9), an earlier Writer’s Nook post where you can find various means of stirring up that inspiration you might so desperately need. Hopefully that post helps you.

Other reasons why waiting is best…

In waiting for inspiration, you also waste less time editing, rewriting, etc., all of which is extremely time consuming.

Of course, this is all just my opinion. Others obviously feel differently, but I finally “met” a fellow writer who feels the same.

Okay, yes, she totally has no idea at all who I am, but I know who she is via YouTube. I also found her video confirming my point of view.

Yes. To my shock and surprise, my view is actually her view and vice-a-versa. I’ll definitely introduce you to her in a later post, where I’m going to talk about the necessity of a writing routine, aka do you really need one? So, be on the lookout for this post.

But please…

Take my advice with a grain of salt. As an indie author, I have the luxury, if you will, of choosing to fan the flame of my creativity whenever it strikes. If you’re choosing the traditionally published route, you may not have this luxury. More’s required of you. More deadlines. More expectations. All of which can crowd and cramp your creativity, unless you’re a rare breed who thrives under pressure.

I know there are those amazing people out there. They need the pressure to help them discipline themselves. You amaze me, for sure. So, if you’re that type, then all of this most likely isn’t made for you. You have a special skill most of us only yearn to have…but, in my case, while I do face the restlessness of always feeling “behind,” I still wouldn’t trade what I do as an indie author for the ease of a traditionally published life.

Again, this isn’t a diss on traditionally published authors. If I were honest, I often envy them.

What do I envy about them?

The fact that their story has already been labeled “good,” even “successful,” before their book ever hits the press. If it weren’t, then the publishers wouldn’t take a risk on them in the first place.

Thus, all the wondering, the turmoil, the self-doubt, the fear-filled questions asking, “am I a good writer?” and “have I written a good book?” are not really questions at all. They already know the answers because they’ve been “accepted.” Theirs is a confidence I may never experience.

Ah, I hear you reminding me that the Bible says to get rid of all envy, malice, and strife. And you’d be right. I also appreciate the reminder. I remind myself of it often, too. Stop envying. It only leads to ungratefulness and despair, neither of which are becoming to a daughter of the King. Consider it emptied and disposed of; I shall envy no longer. To the best of my ability anyway. And when it reoccurs, I shall remember our conversation, repent, and continue to shove down the ungrateful thoughts and feelings, and focus on what matters most: writing.

So, because of what I said, would I want to be traditionally published instead?

While the relative “ease” of being traditionally published makes me often wish I had that level of security in my artistic endeavors, I also know I’d never want to change my current position as an indie author. Simply for the fact that I know that none of the top 5 publishers would have ever even considered my current book series secondary to length, poetic prose, genre, etc.

But their disapproval and rejection of my manuscript doesn’t mean that I don’t have a story to tell. (Yes, I was rejected more times than I can count). And that’s the beauty of indie publishing and the free market of book publishing in general. Because of my ability to publish my book myself, I had the chance to meet you and establish what I hope will always be a lifelong friendship. Something that may never have happened if I had just believed and accepted what the traditional publishing houses told me: there’s no place for your story.

Silver lining…

And yet maybe that’s the best part of rejection from the traditional houses? That I don’t have backing, except from my own conscience, and yet I pursue my dreams anyway, shored up by the knowledge that I have a story that matters, that needs to be told, that others need to read and hear. Am I not then pursuing the old ways of the true American dream? Hard work and persistence lead to success in my own way, and no one can say that’s not a beautiful thing in it’s own right. For me, and for all those who follow the same path. 🙂

Ah, well, that was not in the planning. Sorry to spend so much time on that…I ran us a bit off course…another of my usual rabbit trails. But it seemed fitting to chat about somehow. I hope you don’t mind the rambles you often get here. I’ll get us back on track, though, by giving a moment to the following, since it seems to sync well with our current discussion…

Why the “extra” posts in the Writer’s Nook?

The “extra” posts that I have circulating in my head are just things that came to mind along this journey that I’m truly hoping will inspire you to continue doing what you’re doing. Mainly, it’s a call-to-arms, so to speak, encouraging you not to give up or let yourself be swayed by your own thinking. This will all make sense when I post the next Bonus tip, which I hope to have coming very soon…

Now, back to the crux of the matter at hand…pen and paper….

What if I don’t want to use pen and paper?

This is totally a guideline. That’s all. An artistic expression of what you need as a writer. It’s not really meant to be a writerly requirement.

If you love always having pen and paper as your optimal tools for recording all your thoughts and ideas, then go for it. Nowadays, most of us probably lean more toward the Notes section in our iPhones or maybe Google docs or some other new-fangled app or the other. Either way, having something immediately at your fingertips is key in the life of a writer.

Have I ever been in a dilemma where I really needed pen and paper?

Yes. To be brief. Constantly.

In fact, the more I dreamed of being an author, the more pen and paper I needed.

Ideas and thoughts and phrases and bits and pieces of the story I was weaving all came together when I least expected it. Not having a pen and paper in hand became a problem. Not having a tablet and pencil or pen on my nightstand was even worse still.

Why was that a problem?

Because if you’re anything like me, my best ideas (and sometimes my worst) came right after I’d turned out the lights and my head hit the pillow. Then, boom! My mind was awake and rampant with scene upon scene, and dialogue stretching out for miles between characters I’d struggled so hard to eavesdrop on and couldn’t during the day. (You can see Tip#8 in The Writer’s Nook archive for tips on how to write dialogue, but truthfully, sometimes it just takes time).

What is it about nighttime that seems to evoke the best ideas?

To be honest, I’m not quite sure. Perhaps it’s because the subconscious is fully let loose. Maybe it’s the peaceful calm, the settling down of your body and your mind and your soul for the rest they so desperately need and deserve. I’m not positive which it may be. Yet, almost without fail, the moment I needed sleep was the same moment my brain decided to fire with ever-increasing accuracy. My semi-conscious state worked overtime, and if I didn’t always have a pen and paper handy, then I had to search for some, which was…not good.

Why was that not good?

Of course, you’re probably asking why is this a problem? How hard is it to rummage through a desk and find pen and paper? I agree with you…it’s not hard, BUT, it is always the crucial, teetering point that totally oblierates my train of thought, thus leaving me with–a ruined scene or lost dialogue, all because I had to split my focus between remembering that precious scene and making my eyes find what’s right in front of them.

Hopefully, your brain is better at multitasking than mine is. Haha.

Do you always manage to get everything down then?

Yes and no.

Oftentimes, my brain is working at a much faster rate than my fingers, and I lose my momentum and flow of thought during the delay of scratching my pen across a blank sheet of paper.

Sometimes though this can work to my advantage because I might, in reviewing my lost train of thought, actually rework the sentence into something much better and more poetic. Other times, it just ends up being what it is: a lost cause, and I just have to wait for another time for all the creativity to rush back in a new and refreshing way.

Wait, you said sometimes nighttime evokes the worst sentences?

Guilty.

It’s true. There are times where I’m like, this is the best thing ever! I hurry to write it down. I go to sleep happy, and then upon waking the next morning, I rush to read my previous night’s work with feverish excitement, only to find it’s a dud. Definitely nothing to write home about.

That being said, I can often salvage bits and pieces of what I wrote and make it better, morphing and twisting it into a good piece of art that I can be proud of. It just takes time.

If I hadn’t written it down, though, I would never have had the opportunity to rework that sentence or restructure that dialogue, which would have been sadder.

So, who gave me this advice to always have pen and paper?

I have to credit my paternal grandfather for this advice.

He was a journalist for several New England newspapers. He also wrote for the Army/Air Force newspaper in Paris when he was stationed there shortly after the war (World War II, that is). He ended up writing speeches for government officials during his time at the Pentagon. So, in short, he knew a bit about writing.

My grandpa German was the one who told me a good writer “always has pen and paper” on hand. He told me, “always carry one of these,” and then he’d hold up a tiny pocket notebook.

Did I take his advice?

Yes, but I modified it a little. I never actually purchased a tiny notebook, but I did always make sure I had some scrap paper and a variety of pens (or pencils) tucked inside my purse.

My advice for you…

Follow my grandfather’s advice and stick to your own version of getting those wild thoughts down on paper!

I most often now utilize the Notes section of my iPhone. Lately I’ve been totally and completely inspired to write at the most random times, and I don’t hesitate to take advantage of those moments.

Just this past week, I wrote every single day during breaks at work, random pauses between work tasks that I didn’t expect to have, and most certainly, I took advantage of writing during my lunch break.

Fast. Furious. Unending typing. A tranquil flow of thoughts. It’s actually some of my best writing. Always needs tweaked and edited, but the general communication ends up being what I’m most satisfied with.

So, is Notes what I use most then?

For sure!

I do still love always having pen and paper handy; however, Notes is just too easy to ignore.

And, to my surprise, it’s been working really well for me! I also love being able to transfer to my computer anything I’ve written in my Notes app. From there, it’s super easy to copy/paste whatever I need straight from there into my story. It’s so much less time consuming.

I even just love printing out all my writing segments I have in my Notes section and keeping the hard copies tucked in a folder for easy reference or for use as a backup, in the event I need one.

Conclusion:

Always have pen and paper. A faithful writer is never without either. But yes, you can modify for the times and use the Notes section on your iPhone or whatever folder or app you prefer!

Did you find this helpful?

I hope you found this tip a useful tool to add to your writer’s tool chest. Sometimes the simplest pieces of advice are actually the most influential and most compelling.

If you stumbled upon this post by happenstance, you can go here to see all the pieces of advice in The Writer’s Nook and read all the preceding posts. My goal is to share what’s helped me on my writing journey so that you will hopefully be as inspired to finish your story as I was when I read about others’ writing journeys.

Until next time, dear Storyteller, always have pen and paper, wait for inspiration to hit, and then let your story unfold…without hesitation, without fear, and with the knowledge that your story is one that needs to be told. God bless xoxo