Ideas. Where do they come from? Ask a writer, and you'll probably receive a variety of answers:
- Sometimes I get good ideas from dreams.
- I read about true events in the newspaper and start wondering, What if...?
- I overhear an interesting conversation in a restaurant or at a ball game.
- My dog or cat does something silly, and I imagine them as story characters.
- I ask a lot of questions, like Who? What? Why? Where? When? How?
Does a writer need a lot of fancy equipment to capture good ideas? Of course not! Words don't know the difference between an 89¢ notebook, a $100 typewriter, or a $1,200 computer.
What's really important is to grab the idea before it disappears. When a great idea hits, even if it's the middle of the night, turn on your light long enough to record your words while they're still fresh in your mind. Good ideas usually don't wait around until morning.
Here are some common supplies to keep on hand. They're affordable to every writer, young or old, experienced or not. You probably have some of them around the house already. As long as the ideas keep flowing and you have some way to record them, you're on your way to doing what writers do best--creating something from a spark of an idea.
- Notebook or tabbed binder filled with lined paper
- 3" x 5" note cards (keep on your night stand, school locker, or in the car, for recording ideas)
- Pencil or pen (felt-tipped is especially nice)
- Dictionary (there are dictionaries online, too--a nice convenience!)
- Desk and comfortable chair, or a flat surface fit for writing. One famous writer started out with a homemade "desk" - really just an old door laid across two file cabinets.
What are you waiting for? Make tracks and gather those supplies!
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Reading
and Writing 2nd Grade