Strike While the Iron is Hot but Stay In the Moment

Have you ever come up with a well crafted sentence, clever wording, or even just the grain of an idea, and said, "I've got to write that down later!"  Then, when later comes, you sit down in front of a blank screen and...nothing.  You can't even remember the shape of what you wanted to write?  That happens to me all the time!  And I really wish it wouldn't.  I cannot tell you the number of times that I've thought to myself, "How did I say that before?  It sounded really awesome in my head!" but been unable to remember the exact wording or even what the topic was.

So what is the solution?  Obviously the answer is to write it down.  Carry a notebook with you, install a notepad on your mobile device, jot it down on your hand, so that when you craft an interesting turn of phrase in your head you can record it before it gets lost in the ether of the daily grind.  Okay, well that's not too hard.  Of course, there will be times when you really can't just stop and write down what you've come up with.  Maybe you're at the grocery store and there's ice cream in your cart, or you sit down and realize that your baby desperately needs changing, or you're in the middle of a long drive to SoCal.  Obviously, those are times when you can't just put everything aside for a few minutes to jot something down.  Which brings me to my next point...

Stay in the moment.  Ironically (since this is a blog about writing) I don't actually mean the moment that you're in the writing groove.  I mean all of the other times when you're at the grocery store or taking care of your baby or driving on the freeway.  If you really can't stop and write something down, don't think about the things you're going to write about.  Trust that the inspiration will be there when you do have a moment and focus on what you're doing.  Because otherwise, if inspiration comes at an inopportune time, you're going to be kicking yourself later and asking, "Why didn't I write that down when I thought of it?"  To be honest, that's the wrong question.  The real question should be:  "Why was I thinking about writing when I knew I wouldn't be able to follow the inspiration?"  Sometimes inspiration just finds us, but most of the time we find it because we're looking for it (or at least that's how it works for me).  So it seems somewhat foolish to go looking for inspiration when you can't follow where it leads.