My imagination sometimes feels like a jumble of clutter in an attic. I’ve got so many ideas, so many stories in progress. Some of them get shoved into a back corner for too long, buried under other ideas. Sitting there, forgotten, they gather dust.
How do I clean up these lost stories, make some progress on them?
Creating reminders helps, doing things which remind me that these stories are there, waiting for me. When I blog, I try to fill them with reminders of a particular character, a particular story. More and more, I’m using them to focus on my works in progress, get my imagination going, chasing a particular character’s journey or state of mind. I engage in projects which help me engage in my own projects. Blogging From AZ has become all about particular characters, focusing on them in some way. I hone in upon writing prompts which prompt thought of certain projects. I usually participate in NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo, even when I don’t officially sign up, knowing it’ll get me working on a particular story. I leave files open, to remember them. I listen to pieces of music or songs which get me thinking of my characters.
Once I’ve created the reminders, I do something else I need to do. I let my imagination wander while I do it, keeping a particular idea or character in mind. This feels almost like opening a window in the dusty attic, airing it out, allowing my imagination to breathe. Once it breathes, it often surprises me with what it comes up with, but it’s usually takes me where I want to go.
How about you, dear reader? What do you do to organize your imagination, to concentrate on a particular story?