Wednesday, October 13, 2010

In the middle of the night

You know how sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night with what you think is a brilliant idea for your story? I did that last night. I thought about it for a while, after having trouble falling back to sleep. I thought about it long enough that I remembered it this morning, even not having written it down.

The problem is that in the light of day, it's not really such a good idea. It basically removes all but the simplest conflicts from my story, leaving it kind of old-fashioned with no real stakes for the main character. What is it about three thirty in the morning that makes us think we're brilliant?

6 comments:

Lisa said...

Actually, I am brilliant at 3:30 in the morning. Too bad there's no one but my fussy baby to appreciate it. :)

Michelle said...

I dreamed last night that I was hanging out with you and the kids. We were on a picnic blanket at a party and some turtles marched across it. Both kids were very funny and happy.

Lisa said...

What a fun dream! Alexander's latest is that he wants to be a turtle for Halloween. Yesterday it was a snail. Before that, a dolphin. I'm glad he didn't stick with dolphin. :)

Kristi Tuck Austin said...

I've had that same feeling. I also feel newly hatched ideas lose that spark of magic when said aloud. Do you?

Michelle said...

Kristi,

Yes, I've had that happen too. But I'm usually more of a "mull it over in my head" person, so I don't often say the ideas aloud before I realize how bad they are.

Anonymous said...

last night had a dream -- and this morning I turned the dream into the first draft of a picture book. ... ;)