Podcast Episode can be found on my ANCHOR at http://anchor.fm/alledria/revisitingideas
Hey There Story Fiends and welcome back to the podcast where we think inspiration is literally everywhere called “There’s Stories Everywhere”. I’m your hostess, Alledria Hurt.
So let’s start with a quickie life update. Forgive the sound on the podcast because unfortunately I’m sick right now. I’ve got a stopped up face and chest congestion, so if you think I sound funny that’s why.
Today we are going to tackle the idea of ideas. I know, I’ve sorta done this topic before, but it bears repeating. Ideas are not precious. Let me say that again. Ideas are not precious. They are maybe as precious as diamonds, if you understand that diamonds are literally as precious as dirt and it’s only the false scarcity model created by one company which has made the world think that they are more precious than they actually are. In the case of the writing world, which seems to live and die on the idea that ideas are so precious we have to document each one carefully and protect them with our lives, I blame the academic writing establishment. I blame the people who think you only have one truly great novel in you and all the others are just practice for you to be able to write that one single great work of fiction. Hogwash. I know, I know, but what about the stuff that foams up out of you when you sleep? You mean the stuff you’ve forgotten before you stumble to your coffee pot? Seriously. Or those moments when you have that brilliant idea in the shower? Certainly those are ideas worth writing down. Here’s the thing though, on further examination, those ideas might, big might, be worth pursuing. Assuming they fit into whatever else you are already doing. Otherwise, they are ostensibly just in the way of finishing what you’re already handling.
Having an idea isn’t some big event. It literally happens a thousand times an hour if you’re just sitting around looking at stuff. Brainstorming, which is something all of us sorta know how to do, assumes that most of our surface level ideas are absolute schlock and it’s only after we’ve dug down a bit that we get to anything worth actually looking at.
I realize that some of this is absolute heresy to some people. They will live and die by their idea capturing system and flagelate themselves when they miss some random bit of mental fluff which could lead to their next great novel. I understand that, and maybe I’m the one who is weird in that I don’t. I one hundred percent purely believe that great ideas reoccur and normal to mediocre ideas are wonderful but aren’t exactly the be all end all.
Here’s something that I’ve been sorta playing around with: Brain Plasticity. Once upon a time, not so long ago, humans were of the opinion that the brain grew up until a certain age and then began it’s gradually speeding up decline from that point until you died. Neuroscience has debunked that as a myth. To paraphrase a lot of research, the brain is capable of growing and changing for a lot longer than we originally realized. Now what does that have to do with ideas? That means, literally, the brain will be capable of making stuff up, snatching ideas out of the ether, connecting us with the muse, or however you wanna put it for far longer than previously thought of. Ideas will just keep on coming.
So if you’re of the opinion that ideas are precious, you possibly also hold the opinion that ideas are finite. Neuroplasticity says that’s not true. A creative brain will continue to be a creative brain until it dies or has some kind of major trauma. Once again making it probably unnecessary for you to capture every flitting idea which passes between your ears.
Why am I revisiting this topic? One. It bears repeating until we stop with this idea scarcity model we have going on. Two. I was reading The Relaxed Author by Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lebefrve and it is about relaxing in the writing process including not stressing out over whether or not you will have another idea. Newsflash: You will. And Three. I am still working my way through creative burnout and finding myself falling back on crutches such as idea capturing as a way not to actually do the work.
That’s a whole nother thing…. if you’re so busy evaluating your ideas, you’re not actually doing the work. It becomes analysis paralysis which hinders you from taking the plunge into what you need to do: snatch an idea out of the air and make something out of it.
This is me taking myself to task for the stuff I’m not doing too. I started trying to figure out things as lists instead of plunking down some prose or dialogue. That’s not going to get me anywhere. So with the understanding from the previous episode: I don’t need or really want for someone to give me permission to be healed and that ideas are a dime a dozen, pick one and run, I think we might be back on track. Maybe. I haven’t one hundred percent tried to write anything yet. I might be trying to run on a still broken ankle, but doggone it, I’m not patient. I’m going to figure out how to limp my way along because there is a part of me that will die if I don’t.
That’s the episode for this week all. If you’ve got an opinion, which we all do, feel free to leave me a message on the podcast at anchor.fm or via email through my website: www.alledriahurt.com.