Ideas, like fireflies, swirl around my head. Which one should I catch? My eyes lose focus. Perhaps it’s best to capture them all and store them in a glass jar.
Sometimes writing is like that and I end up with a drawer full of Pulitzer wannabees. Like the flies in the jar that eventually die without air, so do all of my captive ideas. When I examine them again there is no spark. The light is gone.
I find that I’m a better writer when I am more purposeful. Instead of chasing elusive fireflies, no matter how bright, my focus becomes like a coloring book page of ‘Connect the Dots.’ You know, use a line to connect the numbers and you create a picture; what a writer might call a concept or idea.
There is so much disconnected information that zooms past us or bombards us, but it is the dots inside of us that represent the deep emotions and memorable events that have changed our lives. I discovered that writing is also a way of giving, of sharing a part of me with others.
So when I look for inspiration, I no longer reach for the fireflies. I search within myself for one of the dots that represent friendships I’ve made, issues I’ve championed, as well as events that trigger fear, anger, sorrow, or joy. Then that dot, eager to touch the hearts of others, sparks to life out of me and illuminates a page or two creating a great story.
Practice Random Acts of Reading
Veronica Jorge
Manager, Educator, and former Social Studies High School teacher, Veronica credits her love of history to the potpourri of cultures that make up her own life and to her upbringing in diverse Brooklyn, New York. Her genres of choice are Historical Fiction where she always makes new discoveries and Children’s Picture Books because there are so many wonderful worlds yet to be imagined and visited. She currently resides in Macungie, PA.
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Refugee, by Alan Gratz, though written for a middle-grade audience, is a riveting novel for adults as well that draws us into the migrant experience from a child’s perspective.
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Nothing Found
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Yes, yes, and yes! Love the post…
Hi Sally, Thank you for commenting on my first post. Since you are a minister and counselor, I imagine you connected with my ideas about sharing, giving, and light. I’m always focused on increasing in all three areas.
I enjoyed reading your post. Sweet way of looking at gathering ideas!
Hi Meriam, As you yourself wrote and know, ‘there is a little magic everywhere and in everyone.’ I’m thrilled by every new discovery. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment.
Hi Veronica! You live a little over an hour from where I grew up in Scranton, PA 🙂 I like your post – it reminds me of the end of The Wizard of Oz, because Dorothy had the power within her, all along. You’ve beautifully expressed an answer to the age old question posed to writers: “Where do you get your ideas?” <3
Hi Geralyn, It’s so interesting that you mentioned the Wizard of Oz. As a child I wondered what might really be found at the end of a rainbow. The thought filled me with awe. My other all time favorite movie was, and still is, Cinderella and the song, ‘Impossible…things are happening everyday.’ I became a very reflective person always searching within myself.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment to my post.