Problem Solved

I do not consider myself a fast writer. When I’m going to write about a topic, I do my best work if I allow myself an extended period of time before the project is due. The first step of my writing process, always, is just to know that I’m going to write on a particular subject. That’s it. I just let it stew.

Then something really exciting begins to happen. I get ideas. They come at odd times. I cannot plan it. I cannot force it. I’ve been driving down the road and have pulled over to write down an idea on a scrap of paper scrounged from the glove box. I’ve written on napkins in restaurants. I’ve had epiphanies during Sunday sermons and quickly scrawled them on the margin of the church bulletin. I’ve outlined major points on the back of bank deposit tickets while pushing a buggy down the aisle at Walmart. I’ve woken in the middle of the night and gotten up to record my thoughts in my notebook. I’ve even occasionally written in the dark and had a pretty hard time deciphering the next morning.

The key, you see, is giving myself time to think, and then writing down the thoughts when I have them. If I don’t write them down right then, they’re gone. I’ll remember that I had a great idea; I just won’t remember what that idea actually was. Believe me, I’ve learned this the hard way. (Sniff, sniff. Violins in the background.)

Writing down my ideas should be easy enough to do, but I’ve had a small problem. My very best ones seem to come in the middle of my morning run, usually at the point of farthest distance from my house. Terrified I’ll forget before I can grab pencil and paper, I repeat the idea over and over and over in my mind, desperately picking up the pace until I burst through the back door, frantically scrambling for writing material.

But I think I’ve solved my problem. The other night, my husband was watching Monday Night Football, and I happened to notice that the quarterback had a flipchart-like playbook strapped to his arm! Light bulb moment! I just need to design some type of stretchy band equipped with a small memo pad and pencil that I can slip on my arm while running.

Next thing you know, I’ll be taping my glasses back together and wearing a pocket protector in my front blouse pocket.