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Story Ideas – R.I.P.?
By Deb Gallardo
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain
This Twain quote leads off an unevenly written, but thoughtful, article with a reverse-psychology title:”5 Ways to Bury a Great Idea.”
We all have our share of great ideas in the coffin, an idea that has never seen daylight. I’m intrigued to explore the psyche that works behind the death of a seemingly great idea.
This goes back to a point I made in a recent blog post: …putting an idea out there that you haven’t thought through is like proudly showing a crude sketch on the back of a napkin, as opposed to a fully-completed oil painting. It’s risky. You see your vision in your head when you look at the sketch. No one else can. Why would you want to display an unformed thought?” (To read the entire post go to: Novel Ideas, Ebook Ideas – Child’s Play?)
It is our inner feebleness to explore the unknown and have courage to face the adversity that often kills a great idea.
This is no doubt true. And I’ll be the first to admit that I usually err on the side of cowardice. But that depends on the strength of my inner belief. When I know something on a deep level, I persevere and even take some risks. And I’m not ashamed that I am not a big risk-taker. It’s mostly a function of personality, so should I be ashamed of who I am? I don’t think so. (End of brief rant.)
A great idea needs intent focus. Often, it is … persistence that [turns] intention into … reality.
The phrase “intent focus” is awkward and unclear, but the general drift is understandable. To turn an idea into reality requires being intentional by focusing our energies and attention on taking action to bring that about. If that’s not what he meant, it’s what I believe. As one who doesn’t easily take action this is easier to grasp as theory than to put into practice. Nevertheless, I am learning, even at this stage in life, to take action.
When we lack … intention, we tend to shift focus to another idea that’s seeking our attention.
This is where an ADD brain can be a true deterrent. There is always another idea. The trick is to record them, list them, write them down, but then go back to what you were focused on before the distraction and lure of the next great idea.
How many times have you had an idea, but when you discussed it with someone you consider smart you received a negative response? …It’s up to you to sail away from the safe harbor to seek and discover the greatest idea of your life time.
Nice philosophical sentiment. Pretty good use of Twain’s metaphor. But he has so over-simplified and romanticized the metaphor that it’s like a sitcom whose problems are all solved in 23 minutes.
Still, I’m reminded of the late George Plimpton. He repeatedly took the risk of playing professional sports as an amateur, and wrote about these experiences. He played football with the Lions and later with the Colts against the Lions. He played hockey, golf, and tennis. Outside pro sports he tried his hand at stand-up comedy and appeared in several feature films. You have to admire his sheer guts.
The good news is that no one can bury a great idea without your approval.
This final point is worth its weight in gold. I’m posting this one next to my computer on a sticky. A few weeks ago I had a burst of inspiration and wrote a rhyming “Bedtime Story for Internet Marketers.” The people I shared it with raved about it. I was all excited about it, that is until I showed it to a “guru.” His response was barely lukewarm. So I tabled doing anything with my idea. Then I realized, the guru isn’t my target market. It’s the people who already love it who will help me spread the word.
Reports of the death of my idea are premature. Read the entire article on how not to bury story ideas
Related Posts
- Novel Ideas, Ebook Ideas – Child’s Play?
- Creative Writing – Imagination vs. Talent
- Story Ideas – Book Review, Part 1
- Story Ideas – Use Scenario Snippets for Inspiration
- What’s Your Writing Dream?
2 Comments »
May 18th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Deb,
Great food for thought.
I find myself wrestling more with putting out an unformed idea all the time.
I think a lot of writers are afraid it will go away until it gets recorded and published.
Really, it only needs to be recorded, worked on and then published.
Jeff
May 18th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Jeff,
Glad you found this of interest. You’re right, of course, except the published thing – when it comes to fiction and following the traditional publishing route – can take a long time.
That’s why Internet Publishing may one day eclipse the print industry. It’s not that people will stop buying physical books. At least I know that I won’t. But I do like listening to them. I think we will see the industry continue to evolve. And the big pubs may have some adapting and changing ahead of them if they want to stay viable.
As always, thanks for your time reading and especially commenting.
Deb