In yesterday’s post I mentioned that one of the reasons for writing this blog is to help other writers.  Another is to remember what’s going on (what was going on – hopefully one day I’ll be reading these for my memoir) in my day as I navigate this treacherous terrain. I have a horrible memory. The script I’m currently working on is a sci-fi/spy piece and I was a little lost on it’s direction.  I keep a journal of tidbits (ideas, dreams, fractions of dialogue or scenes, images, and what-have-you) and I couldn’t trace the inspiration behind this current script. I hadn’t written anything down.  Then, while listening to YouTube, I heard a song, the theme from a Japanime series called Elfen Lied.  (*Side note, this is not for children.  It’s bloody, violent, and contains nudity.)

That was it!

I remembered watching it and loving the opening sequence.  A young girl with her face covered in a special helmet is quietly walking the hallways of this facility while the military men around her are being torn apart by some invisible entity.  There’s blood and violence, and yet she appears serene or in a trance.  I’m not going quite in this direction, but it was nice to remember why I started this script in the first place, tentatively called Projection.  I got the spark back!

Today’s tip: Write things down.  Write down that snippet of an interesting dream you can barely remember.  Write down that odd conversation you unwillingly overheard.  Use Pinterest (I love Pinterest!) to keep images that inspire you all in one place as you surf the web instead of writing (it’s okay, I do it too).  These are a writer’s arsenal.  You never know what might spark that next burst of creativity.

Good luck!