Inspiration Invitation

Hi friends of reading and writing,

Writing something I'm proud of can be as elusive and mysterious as the flash of a firefly.  I know that some authors believe in BIC (butt in chair) and say go ahead and type gibberish if need be until good words come to you.  But that doesn't work for me.  I can go with the BIC part, sitting before the paper or the computer.  But then I need to have something worthwhile in mind to start typing.  I'm not saying I don't produce the kind of terrible first drafts that can never be shown to anyone.  I'm just saying, babbling without purpose, hoping that a thread of gold will appear in the monkey clickings, that's not for me.

I get frustrated by my inability to catch the moonbeam I'm after, yes.  But if there is no moonbeam, no tangled life, no torn letter, I couldn't care less about pounding the keys or scribbling.  Something has to be at stake.  I call it the inspiration invitation.  I need to sit down with the intention to think and write about a specific time, place, person, problem, waterfall, dead butterfly, melted chocolate bar, whatever.  The intention invites the inspiration.  It doesn't always come up to my desires and expectations.  The firefly dies without a flash often enough.  But knowing what I want to capture is the drive to put BIC to begin with, and for me, I can't get to inspiration without that invitation.  If you're frustrated trying to start writing, try looking for your invitation first.  Say to yourself, I must write about this.  Then write.

best,
Lorelei