Write Time

Write Time
By Camy Tang

Working Full-Time and Writing
(or for any busy writer)

As always, remember that these tips won't all work for everyone, so pick and choose what's right for you.

Mining for ideas when you’re busier than Martha

When the ideas won’t flow, you can go looking for them, but it doesn’t have to take a lot of time. You can go searching for ideas in the places you hit everyday. Sometimes it just means a subtle shift in attitude and perception on your part.

Eavesdrop on conversations at work, in the grocery store, at school, at church, at soccer practice.

Scan obituaries and weddings, the local news and events—it doesn’t have to take long, just a few minutes more of the time you usually spend in the paper. Be on the look out for intriguing or unusual ideas you can write about.

When you take the kids to the library, browse book titles for anything that sparks a story or character. Scan the nonfiction section for a topic, issue, occupation that might be integrated into a story.

Listen to music and see if a song, lyrics, or a song title sparks something.

Watch TV—We all need to relax, and sometimes dramas, sports shows and commercials can give you ideas for stories. Even the really bad commercials or shows can be useful—I start thinking, “I can write something better than that!”

My Buddhist family visits the cemetery several times a year to pay respects. I’m required to come along, so I look at headstones and names, making up stories about these people.

Encourage older people to reminisce about the past, and encourage younger people to complain about the present. At family get-togethers, or at the dinner table, or driving your kids and their friends around town—make the most of your time with other people to mine them for stories. It won’t take much to get coworkers or church members to chat with you.

Anyplace you have to be, keep your eyes open, especially at places you don’t normally visit—like the zoo, or a courtroom. Observe people in other occupations from what you know. Observe normal people doing something unusual for them, or unusual people doing something normal.

When you need to take your kids shopping for clothes or whatever, people-watch as you head through the mall. You have to be there anyway—slow down a little and mine for ideas.

At the beauty shop, pay closer attention to the gossip and stories.

Go for a walk. When you’re stressed, find a way to leave the house—dump the kids with your spouse or a babysitter—and walk around the park. The fresh air and act of relaxing might let the creative juices flow. At work, go walking at lunch and away from the job atmosphere.

If you have time at the computer, skim through blogs—what everyday people are talking about might give you something to talk about, too. Check out online auctions (ebay.com or Amazon auctions) or Craigslist.com—the odd things people are selling and buying can really give you wild ideas. Craigslist also has listings of things people are giving away free—you’d be surprised at what’s advertised.

Remember, as a writer, you’re not a one-hit wonder. You might not have a lot of time, but you can still work on something new!

Camy Tang lives in San Jose, California. She previously worked biology research and is a staff worker for her church youth group. She writes Asian Christian fiction, and runs the Story Sensei critique service.