Notes to Self

Capturing ideas lets my brain know I am serious about creating. I keep index cards and scrap paper all over the house and in my purse so I can jot down notes to myself. Then I put the note in a binder, depending on what the idea relates to... I have a binder for writing ideas and another for film ideas. Sometimes, I grab anything handy to scribble on (napkin, receipt, take-out menu), so I use sheet protectors in my binders to accommodate such items.

I've noticed that some activities seem to be a breeding ground for ideas: driving, exercising, and bathing. Ideas that arrive during those activities are a little tougher to capture. I've taken some pretty cryptic notes while trying to drive, and sometimes cannot decipher them when I get home. (The whooza goes to the whatza?) Notes taken while exercising are not a whole lot better. It's hard to write while trying to keep my heart rate up, jumping around.

As for bathing, I call the tub/shower my Think Tank, and I keep a wet-erase marker handy. Whenever an idea hits, I write it on the tile, then copy the note onto paper when I'm able. A problem arises when I forget to wash away the marker notes. One time I was trying to figure out a method my main character would encounter to accidentally kill a person. Scribbled on the tile: A knife? A gun? Burn the house down? Notes such as those can easily frighten my husband.

Today I learned yet another lesson about taking notes on the bathroom tiles. I usually write them on the outer edges beyond reach of the water, but since I was soaking my sore Tai Chi'd muscles in the tub, I figured I was safe to write them on the main tiled wall with my blue wet erase marker. When I was done soaking, I washed my hair with the shower (forgetting about my notes). Blue ink bled down the tiles, into the tub, and down the drain. It looked like Norman Bates attacked Smurfette.

Hmmm...that gives me an idea....