Mindlessness

It’s hard to believe June is upon us already. I remember on January 1 thinking that a new year started and summer was a long way off.

For some people, it’s more difficult to write during the months when it’s warm outside and there are more activities to do. I know I spend more time running and weeding my berry patches than I do in front of my computer. But those times away from my keyboard aren’t wasted either.

It’s during those “down” times that I am most creative. Doing something rather mindless tends to fire up the juices and gets me thinking. To me, brainstorming, plotting, and resolving character issues comes easier when I’m not actively attempting to be a writer. Those “wow” moments strike at crazy times, but it doesn’t matter as long as I don’t forget them by the time I finally sit back down at my desk.

Unfortunately, sometimes I do forget. Even though I keep a pen and paper in my running pack, I don’t stop to jot things down anymore. I don’t even pull out my phone and dictate my thoughts into the recorder. When I’m outside pulling weeds, I could easily run into the house and put some notes onto paper, but I don’t.

The reason may seem silly, but with every passing year, I get older. I’m trying to play brain games to keep myself sharp. My mother has dementia, and I would like to prevent the same fate for me, if I can.

The first time I had an “aha” moment and didn’t write it down, I cursed myself. Now I realize that whatever thought I had that was so brilliant, apparently wasn’t, otherwise I wouldn’t forget. How do I know this? I have a NANO plot brewing in my brain that started on a long run last fall, and I haven’t written down one word of it. It’s significant enough that it won’t leave me alone, so to me, this is an idea worth keeping.

As time goes on, I find myself remembering more and more of these random thoughts. A lot of it turns out to be garbage and unworkable, but I feel like my mind is sharp and I’m more focused. These feelings also instill confidence, and the belief that I can defy any mental deterioration.

 

I want to be a writer in all seasons, even if the writing isn’t always a physical act of typing or dictating. Writing in all seasons also means that I have to exercise my cognitive abilities, for without my mind, I cannot write.