So, the concept of the challange is simple: Blog each day in April, with the first blog focused on the letter "A," then "B,", then "C," and so on. Many of you might think this is a fairly daunting task - and you would be right. But the fact remains that most of us have an abundance of knowledge, stories and ideas swirling around in our head, requiring only the time and focus to document them.
See how I snuck in my "A" word for the day? Yup, "abundance" is my topic. And my downfall. I don't lack for story ideas. If anything, I have too many ideas and not enough time to work on all of them. I have to force myself to stay on topic, to keep plugging away at a specific work in progress instead of glimmering around and writing about every shiny new thing that catches my attention.
I don't have ADD - but I am very much like a small child or a kitten and anything new and bright and shiny can distract me for more time than I care to admit. The dilemma then becomes one of capturing those ideas for later use and staying focused.
I use a couple of techniques, mostly the basic "jot it down in a notebook and add notes/ideas as they come." I also take the time to develop a musical playlist specific to whatever piece I'm currently working on. This has two benefits: it helps me commit to a project by spending creative time away from the keyboard (something we all need) and the music itself, once I hit "play," brings me back to the mood, story and characters I'm currently invested in.
So, having an abundance of ideas is both good and bad, both helpful and distracting. How do you handle all the thoughts and stories dancing around in your head? What are your tools for both capturing those random concepts and staying focused on your current work?
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