Whenever an idea hits me during the day, I find it a piece of paper, scribble it down, and stick it in my pocket. Then later at home, I type the idea up on my laptop. Or... sometimes I just put it in a pile and ignore it... Spoiler I'm not alone, right? Other writers do this... right? My partner is getting a bit peeved.
I would be unable to do that. I do have a spiral-bound notebook where I jot down notes as I'm writing, but I "use" the notes within a day or two. There's no way I'd sort back through pages and pages of old ideas to find something useful... I'd rather come up with something new!
Where i work has little 3x3 inch orange pieces of paper that you fill in the info on. Theres always a pile by my workstation, flip them over and they are purest white note paper. If im working a nightshift and an idea pounces on me from on high then i usually scribble it down and yes...put it in my pocket or wallet. I lost some...i used some and i forgot to write some down. Its all in the process...id rather have a drawer full of orange square with good ideas on rather than forgetting a potential gem. Hey thats me...you be you.
Yes, I definitely do this, and also the ignoring part for most of the time, coupled with the idea that if the stuff on the note was good I'll remember it anyway. Yeah, right. I have an organizer on the wall where I can stick them in when I get home (and usually I don't see them again until it's full and needs to be emptied). That might be something to put up, just to avoid your partner getting peeved. Out of sight, out of mind.
No, I don't do that unless it's an idea relating to a project I'm currently working on. If it's something completely different, I'll mentally table it. If the idea persists (sort of like my subconscious kicking me and saying, "Do something with this!") I might set some time aside in front of the ol' desktop and flesh the idea out, some. In fact, that's how my current project started - while I was editing my previous project.
I've had some of the best ideas while at work, and yes I do... quickly jot it down on a scrap of paper and stuff it into my pocket. I keep such notes in the Apple Notes app on my home computer. It can be dialogue, exposition, and occasionally a brilliant idea for a plot twist! My subconscious is a tireless worker. My conscious mind paints me into a corner from which I may never write myself out of... and yet again the subconscious mind comes to the rescue! I number the ideas and if worthy, they'll get their moment of glory in the story. I usually have close to 100 of them at any one time. 46. Adeline opened one eye and looked through her fingers… the bird was there, not more than a breath’s distance from her knee. It had returned. The ring was gone to be sure, but replacing it was the grape it held in its beak. It looked up at her and then politely dropped the grape on her lap. A gift exchanged for a gift, she thought. 58. “I get nervous up high. You can keep me company.” Achilles followed her eyes up to the rafters and the aptly named, catwalk. 59. As Rosemarie fell the last thing that passed before her thinking mind, was… Achilles, looking down at her, disturbingly unconcerned. 60. She was a large woman, and despite missing teeth had a warm, cheery smile. 72. Everywhere the most remarkable trees; giant elms with low sweeping branches, heavy with creeper, some springing to life with curious squirrels rushing and chattering to the three girls walking along the dirt path. Mabel stopped and bent an ear toward a gap in the tree line, “I hear a stream.” 82. The woman with the waxen pallor spoke to Rosemarie, slowly, and with exquisite preciseness, “You've come for your deflowering,” bats hanging on every syllable.
Most of my notes end up as a gmail draft rather than a scrap of paper. Easier to keep track of. The few notes I do scribble usually get lost in a coat pocket, notebook page, or the laundry.
I keep my notes in a notepad app on phone. Much more space-efficient! Sucked when my phone randomly died and I had no way of recovering those notes. Probably shoulda used google docs.
I do this. I'm always working on something, so whenever a cool idea pops in my head, I write the summary and stash it like a squirrel. Stowing it away helps me focus on the WIP I have currently. Down the line, if I want to work on a new material, I'll sift through my stash, cross out the clunkers and finally pick the one that excites me. I do it on Google Docs, though, so my husband doesn't go crazy (although my manuscript print outs are stacking up and strewn all over the room).
I usually just keep track mentally, operating under the assumption that the good ideas will stick around in my brain and the bad ones will gently float away into oblivion. It's worked for me so far at least.
I keep a notebook of important things (with a few ideas) in it, however, to the casual observer they would not be able to make a lick of sense of it.
I deliberately developed terrible handwriting so no one else can read my notes. That's what I tell people, at least.
I'm gonna have to steal that one No, no, it's not that my handwriting sucks - it's that I'm writing in code. Yes, a very chickenscratchy code. Yup.
This is an easy one: Spoiler This is a hard one... I can't even tell what it says anymore. Spoiler My code's gotten too difficult, even more me. Scratching my head.
I've yet to actually write down ideas. Usually stuff sticks around in my head pretty well. I tend to have the opposite problem. Once an idea pops into my head I can't get it out until I evolve it a bit more. It can be rather distracting really.
Those first two words on the third line are what my handwriting looks like if I don't make myself slow down. Literally just a collection of wavy lines. I write it and immediately look at it and go "Who the fuck?" I've said it before but cursive was absolutely the worst thing to ever happen to my penmanship, hahah.
On soul my life. Dick wait. How what to hat for me. Thhhh Lllllm a # t thigs i wants from Dick. Hut F chili lu not approprete, I...thought it over...I want to human what's gng on: i sad slowly. Fire questions. File hornet - complete - anslers. My going rate is $150 an hour. No checks.
I like to send myself emails as reminders when I'm out and about. Usually reminders to do something when I get home. Sometimes, I'll send an email with an idea, usually for a current story I'm working on, sometimes a new one.
Sort of, but I prefer to let the idea sit in my mind for a bit first. I find that a notepad is the best way to collect bad ideas. I find good ideas keep coming back to me. I do keep notes of how I may want to convey something though if I have a flash of something.
I honestly don't write my ideas down, I just keep them all in my head. Then again, the way my brain works is whenever I have a new idea that I'm excited about, I can't stop thinking about it until I get it down on paper, so that may have something to do with it.
I rarely write down ideas. When they come at night, I tell myself to grab the phone and type in a note, but usually don't follow through. I think I remember them all in the morning, but if I forgot, they usually show up later. When I feel something taking shape in my mind, I'll start writing. The idea grows and changes as I write, and it's like I'm freeing something in there trying to get out.
I had to give it a try, like @Laurus did. I love trying to decipher bad handwriting. Here's what I got.... "You saved my life," Dieter said. "Have what you want from me." There are a number of things I want from Dieter, but it just is not appropriate. I thought it over. "I want to know what's going on," I said slowly. "Five questions. Five honest - complete - answers." How'd I do? Got any more?
Wow. That is really close. Color me impressed. This is what it says: "You saved my life," Dieter said. "Have what you want from me." There were a number of things I wanted from Dieter, most of which were not appropriate. I thought it over. "I want to know what's going on," I said slowly. "Five questions. Five honest - complete - answers." Dieter is a drug dealer. He just got shot. Yoshi/Christopher (the narrator) saved his life. Yoshi wants to know what the fuck is going on.
