I
had an article coming due, but no idea what to write.
I
went to bed convincing myself not to worry. Before the deadline, I’d
get an idea.
I'd
just watched a TV drama one of Agatha Christie’s stories with
detective Hercule Poirot, known for trusting the work of his “little
gray cells.”
My
bedside clock showed 3:30. I knew what I’d write.
I
also knew that if I didn’t record my idea, I'd stay awake for the
next hour, fearing that come morning, it would be gone.
I
found a pencil and yesterday’s Dilbert calendar page and trudged to
the bathroom. Under the nightlight I scribbled a working title and a
few supporting details. A quick drink of water and I went back to
sleep until 7:30.
By
daylight my note still made sense. For good measure, I scribbled
working titles for two more articles.
Let’s
hear it for little gray cells — and little sheets of paper.
5 comments:
I have had to do the same but mine do not always make sense in the morning :-)I keep paper in the car at all times as well. I can not trust my memory.
I do the same thing, Andy, but my best ideas come in the shower--I need a waterproof dry erase board to hang in there!
P.S. We LOVE Poirot! Isn't he classy?
I'm a believer in this process. It's a little like dicing carrots and potatoes into a stew, then placing the pot on low heat to simmer. Those little gray cells and can get the job done, even while the author is sleeping.
Same here. If I don't write down right away, it's gone by morning.
And of course, there's the classic "Seinfeld" episode where Jerry writes down this perfectly brilliant joke . . . but in the morning cannot decipher it. The entire episode is all his friends trying to read his handwriting, to no effect. But you're right - the midnight hour often produces the best inspiration, and you've gotta jot it down.
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