Easter is a time to celebrate rebirth. Rejuvenation. The possibility of life and growth. Spring is here, according to the calendar (though many of us are still experiencing winter), and bulbs are blossoming, buds are budding, green shoots are shooting (hmm, there’s probably a better word choice). Just think the tender, delicate green of new beginnings.
How are you beginning? Have you laid the groundwork for your new book? Have you explored the possibilities of your idea? Have you started writing?
A woman at a recent networking event asked me how I came up with my story ideas and the question so surprised me my mind stumbled. Everyone has story ideas, I thought. Ideas are easy. Making something out of them is the difficult part. I tried to explain to her that ideas whisper through the air like a gentle breeze and you collect them as you would fireflies. I told her ideas come from life experience, from reading books, from conversation with your friends and family, from television and movies, from magazines, from poetry. Everything has the potential for an idea. It’s the writer’s imagination that makes the connection and turns the words or pictures into something worth telling, something exciting, something moving.
Later I realized that writers have ideas the way engineers dream bridges, accountants plan financial budgets, mathematicians prove theories, pharmacists create medical solutions. People in different occupations reach for different goals, but the creative process lies within us all. Writers charm words the way a chef coaxes food. A little simmering, some tenderizing, sweet words, and a dash of passion, and eventually the work is the way you want it.
As you celebrate Easter tomorrow, open your mind to your idea(s). Let them flow. Give them space to breathe. Nourish them as you would a new plant. Renewal is in the air. Soon your ideas will sprout leaves, then buds, then flower into the maturity of a full-blown tale. Write them down, wherever they take you.
Don’t fall prey to your inner critic. Personalized coaching can help you make the most of your ideas. This is the time of exploration. Gently push aside those negative thoughts and contact info@wordsofpassion.com for guidance on your path.
Photo credit: Rose Hayes
