Spring Sprung
Spring sprung over the Easter weekend. I spent those glorious days on my sister’s ranch in the northern part of our state. Throughout the beautiful days, all I wanted to do was stand in the sunshine, smell the sweet grass and watch hawks sail on updrafts. Wild flowers decorated the landscape. The Poppies waved lazily in the sun, showing off bright orange to the nearby subdued purple Lupine. In the mix, pink Shooting Stars competed for attention.
My intentions were to spend time with my Irish twin, read and write. I spent time with my sister , rode her horses, and hiked her hills. I napped on a hammock on the patio while a dozen hummingbirds fought for a spot at the feeder. No reading, no writing. I was unable to pull away from the outdoors long enough to do either.
Spring fever hits me with a fury this time of year, and doesn’t let up until fall. My writing productivity crashes to the point of disappearing. I manage to ignore all the hype about summer reads. In a nutshell, I don’t accomplish anything. I’ve got better things to do, like absorb as much of the outdoors as I possibly can.
On the flip side, this time of year is when my imagination bursts forth. It’s an odd and amazing thing that happens. My mind’s eye simply goes into over-drive, but at the same time, I lack the enthusiasm to put it to work. I’d rather be in the yard digging around my roses than at my computer trying to work out a pivotal scene between my hero and heroine. Enduring thorns is less painful than my characters relationship.
However, I’ve discovered that while digging, pulling weeds, and deciding where to put annuals, my thoughts have a tendency to split open. Last year I finally got wise to my mind’s habitual activity and started to carry a small notebook to jot down my thoughts. I’ll remember what I was doing in detail, but not what I was thinking. Those scenes I mentally work out as I curse a dandelion will drift away like spring rain. Gone forever, leaving only a small hint of its passing.
Ideas come at inconvenient times. One of the more common moments is while sitting in a traffic jam. Another interesting time is in the middle love making. Hmmm…I wonder what sort of trouble would brew if my man knew his other half was thinking about another man, even a fictional one.
Why is that? Why can’t the imagination work when sitting in front the blank screen? For me, that’s when my mind is as empty as the white abyss blaring at me. But when active, all those wonderful descriptions pop up to float around in my head. The words flow. I can see them right there within reach. And they are so good, I’m sure a Pulitzer is in my future. I go to the computer to write, and they are gone. Poof, no more.
I have yet to find an answer to this oddity. I just wish I could overcome it. I’d love to direct my mind to come out of its winter sleep when I need it. Not while I’m at the gym, on a treadmill with headphones plugged into Diane Sawyer.
Question of the Day: How do you manage your imagination when it goes into over-drive at inopportune moments?
March 28th, 2008
Lee 
in
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March 28th, 2008 at 5:59 am
I use the voice recorder memo pad on my cell phone and make verbal notes to myself of things I want to remember to write about. Just quick little voice memos to myself such as, “Post about how ridiculous the covers of Cosmopolitan magazine have become,” or “Post about how good men look in boots.”
And then when I’m staring at the screen and can’t think of what to say, I listen to my voice memos. I just wish my cell phone had more recording time. I’m always filling it up and running out of space.
March 28th, 2008 at 6:51 am
I have a little recorder like doctors use to make notes for their patients, which are then later transcribed. It fits in my palm and has its own pocket in my purse, so its always there when I need it for times like traffic jams. I also developed my own type of shorthand to scribble notes when speaking into a recorder would be appropriate.
As for inopportune moments … haven’t had any brilliant ideas during mattress sessions, lol, but I will admit to have been plotting a scene during Easter dinner while a relative droned on. So then I had to take my purse into the powder room and outline the scene into my recorder under the cover of the water faucet. Go ahead and laugh!
March 28th, 2008 at 7:58 am
Beautiful imagery in this post. It actually made my mind wander and start to imagine all the things you were describing. For me, the challenge is not t o think about my story or relate everything going on to my writing. I’m compulsive, so once I have a thought or idea, I need to write it down and also flesh it out. The result is I seem distracted by writing when I really should be concentrating (and want to be concentrating) on other things.
March 28th, 2008 at 9:12 am
I like the recorder idea…I’m going out today and get one. And the weather looks like crap today. And I’ve done that during a dinner with a boring relative, just drifted away. I did laugh. My husband will kick me under the table, because its usually his brother.
March 28th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I use a tape recorder too. I love it to capture those fleeting moments of inspiration. I had a bad dream last night and I had a stupid poem floating around in my head all night. So, first thing this morning I had to find a pad and write it down or it would have floated in my head all day too. LOL Once I wrote it down, Poof, it was gone and I could think of other things.
March 28th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Hey, Lee. When inspiration strikes, I take notes on whatever’s handy. I’ve even been known to scribble on my checkbook register when there’s nothing else. As for blanking on the blank screen….try thinking about your scene BEFORE you sit in front of the computer. After you’ve done the laundry, washed the dishes, and put the hubby to bed, your mind should have that scene worked out and then when you sit down you know what’s supposed to come out.
March 28th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Oddly enough, I don’t go into imagination overdrive. Creative thinking and imagination is probably my biggest weakness, unfortunately. I am NEVER able to immerse myself in nature like you had the opportunity to do this weekend, but it sounds wonderful. I should try it. =)