Monday, October 23, 2006

Junk drawers

A blog is a lot like a junk drawer for a writer. You toss stuff up on the screen that doesn't have a home anywhere else. Stuff that you might need somewhere down the road. Stuff that is incredibly useful but rarely needed. Analogies that shine light into the basement when the bulb burns out. Metaphors and similies that act like batteries for that flashlight. Random thoughts that work like paperclips to hold scenes together. Character traits that stretch or connect conflict and motivation like elastic bands or bits of string.

Like any good junk drawer, a blog needs to be sorted through, or cleared out to make sure the candles didn't melt, the matches didn't get wet or the ideas grow stale. Which is one of the many reasons I've resisted a blog for so long. Just one more procrastination tool/chore that keeps me from writing.

On the other hand, I had a great insight the other day about shoes and characters that I lost because I didn't write it down anywhere.

What's in your junk drawer?

5 comments:

  1. Junk drawer ... that's a pretty good analogy in itself. All those brilliant bits and pieces that you just know you'll find a use for someday.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Huh. Thinking of my idea file as a junk drawer puts a different light on it that makes a lot of sense. Lots of stuff that seems useful at the time, but also a whole lot o' crap.

    And floating right at the top are:
    My prime WIP
    Paranormal novel
    Historical short story
    Contemporary suspense where I get to do evil things to the male protagonist's ex
    Ideas for possible sequels to main WIP just because I like torturing myself

    No wonder I have a hard time focusing on any one thing at a time. I'm all over the place!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Welcome to the blogosphere :-) My entire life seems to be a junk drawer lately.

    ReplyDelete
  4. That is purely magical anology. My brain is a junk drawer these days. I am working on cleaning it out though.
    Hi Stash.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I tend to call it an "odds 'n ends" drawer, since what's in there isn't necessarily junk, but simply stuff that's not immediately assignable to another area.

    (And anyway, one woman's junk is a future archeologist's dream ;)

    ReplyDelete