Writing Bits And Pieces

Some of the greatest ideas, characters, and stories have arrived in bits and pieces. A small fragment here, a passing thought there. When they’re assembled they can form something incredible, if they’re curated first.

We’ve talked about recording ideas, but I would suggest avoiding the temptation to wait until it’s bigger to write it down. It may never get bigger until it’s written down, because it may be small enough to forget right now. The size of it at first doesn’t indicate how big it can become.

Ideas should be both collected, and curated. Collecting is simply recording the idea when it comes to you. Curation is how you archive and routinely revisit the collection until something is needed.

Whether it’s as simple as routinely revisiting your idea box, or having an organized system of the bits and pieces you review monthly, you need something. The way you collect the ideas is important, though it doesn’t have to be detailed. However more important is the practice of revisiting the ideas you collect.

The same way an interior designer will collect pieces, or a craftsman collects tools, a writer should collect ideas. The designer returns to review for every project, and the craftsman practices before he needs to use it. I would suggest to collect, review, and try out your ideas in different settings routinely.

The bits and pieces that didn’t fit in one setting, may fit perfectly in another. Writing bits and pieces can rejuvenate a stalled story, or jump start your creativity when ready to write something new. A writer must be both a collector and a curator to have a long term writing career.