Where it all starts . . .

I write a short blurb down on a piece of paper. It’s not much. Just a few scrawled words. If I’m being honest, the handwriting is awful. Just horrible. I’ve been known to exaggerate on occasion. I’m not exaggerating now.

If I’ve been away and haven’t looked at the scrawled words, I return and find that I can’t even read my own writing. Fortunately, I’m able to make out a few words and I make an educated guess to fill in the rest.

I mull over the thought. If the juices are flowing, I start to write right away. Most times, I’ll hold off and brainstorm later. I’ll start with a few thoughts and then when I have more time, maybe a funny line or some description I want to include, I’ll start to build on. It’s like a Lego set. I start with the basics and keep building on.

I’ll continue to play. I’ll add a thought here. I’ll spackle on what I think is an interesting phrase there. I’ll come back to the piece every couple of days. Sometimes I look at it and I’ll see an ugly stick figure or worse, a pre-school kid’s drawing. Other times I’ll look and I swear I’ll see the Mona Lisa. It seems to change minute by minute.

But I’ll keep at it.

The fun is in the building and the playing. And yes, when I’m complete, that silly Lego set has turned into a life-sized, state of the art building. I walk in the entrance and take a look around. I check out the bathroom. I turn on the spigot just to see if everything works. I roam the halls, stopping to take in the Master Bedroom or the Dining Room. The completed house makes me smile.

I close the door behind me. I’m at peace. The process is full of challenges, but I love seeing where it takes me.

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40 thoughts on “Where it all starts . . .”

    1. You know how it is . . . an idea here or there and you can’t get it out of your head. But life is crazy. I have to write it down or I’ll lose it forever. I come back to it later and one idea builds on top of another and another. From those little beginnings, you start to see something take shape. At least that’s how it works for me. Ha, ha. Wish it came fully formed, but just not the way.

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  4. I just love the thought process everyone’s has with their creations. I like your brick by brick approach. Mine tends to be an “I need to get this all out NOW” approach. I don’t stop until it’s out and I can edit quickly. I guess I worry that any additions will alter my original thought process. Not sure! I too though have pages of scribbles. Volumes. Some of these do make it to print. Others may sit idle and whisper “pick me Kiki” into my subconscious.

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    1. Those scribbles. YOu’re right. You never know where they might help another piece. I think we all have our own approaches. That’s what I love about blogging. We all have a different way of getting to the outcome. For me, it’s definitely piece meal, brick by brick. I suspect partially it’s my own darned fault. Never enough time to just sit and crank it out. Ha, ha. Where you don’t stop until you get it out. I love that.

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  13. A beautiful way to describe the writing, or any creative, process, Brian. One Lego block at a time – building on top of the previous foundation. 💕

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    1. Thank you!! I’m not sure if it’s that way for others or not. I rarely get big chunks of time to write. It’s small dribs and drabs so it’s lots of brainstorming and then a brick here and a brick there. It’s different for everyone. I just try to have fun at it no matter how I get the idea.🤣🤣😎😎😎

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