In the last 72 hours I have:
• had our house broken into
• attended a funeral
• had two offers on our house
• thrown a Halloween party
• judged a writing contest
Sometimes life throws a lot of stuff your way — stuff that takes a lot of emotional energy. It's hard to sit down and write when things feel like they're moving so fast you can't keep up.
Take Notes
I've listened to countless writers tell me, "I can't write right now because of all the things going on in my life." Not true.
OK, maybe it's hard to stay focused on a story when your overwhelmed, but you can still take notes. In fact, this is the best time, because these moments — loaded with emotion and drama — will make great scenes. (Not to mention, jotting them down will help you vent a little.)
Here are just a few of many I gathered over the last 72 hours:
Note #1 - Sheriff's interviews can be calming in a crisis.
Note #2 - Sheriff's are people too. Ours forgot to write down the items stolen, then had to get the info again back at his truck.
Note #2 - Criminals aren't all smart. In fact, some of disturbingly stupid.
Note #3 - Eulogies impart not only information unknown to the audience about the deceased, but impart a great deal about the person giving the eulogy too.
Note #4 - It's humbling to find out your costume ripped out in the back and you've unknowingly mooned your friends all night.
Note #5 - My husband and I can have a romantic moment picking out battery-activated alarm systems at Home Depot after a stressful day.
These were a few of many moments I wanted to remember. I added a few more details. In fact, a lot of my notes are the simple details within the scenes — the boarded door of our new house, the trays of spaghetti at the funeral, the crestfallen faces of the home buyers when we said we'd already gotten another offer.
Bringing Your Life to Your Writing
I say capture it, use it. You may not be able to write your story now, but you will soon. And this is the stuff stories are made of.
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