I write down my ideas, regarding general craft or the current piece I'm working on. There are instances when I don't write down an idea and end up forgetting it. I know the ideas I forget are likely not the puzzle pieces that complete the world, but, still, when I sit down to do my daily writing, my focus falls toward trying to remember what is already long gone. I know this lamentation is bad, but that knowledge doesn't help me self-correct. I still focus on what I don't know instead of focusing on writing. Perhaps, then, I'm looking for advice on how to self-correct when these instances arise.
I write down a lot of small ideas on my cellphone or on a small paper notebook. If I forget something, I just force myself to move on, just keep writing. I sometimes have to go back and implement something I had forgotten that I then remember. First draft completion is priority one. When you remember things you can always go back and edit them in. If you forget them completely, then that's how it is, not much to do about it.
Use your phone as a voice recorder so you don't forget. I carried a miniature tape recorder for years for those occasions. You can only write what you write. If you forget what you wanted to do, come up with something else. Don't get locked into that one thing. The story must go on.
I trust myself to remember what I need. If I forget something, it probably wasn't really supposed to be there. Some people take crazy notes and are very organized. I think it's better to believe that the good stuff will come to you as you need it. I've lost files, works, and, I'm sure, plenty of ideas. But I've also never come up short when it comes to what I want to write about. Keep in mind our first ideas aren't always the best. Maybe there are somethings we have to forget to really be able to tap into the good stuff.
Thanks so much ya'll! The notebook and phone recordings are a wonderful help. I enjoy the focus on completing the first draft and avoiding getting locked-in to an idea. I also find a lot of wisdom in the idea of needing to forget the first ideas in order to develop them, so thank you for that as well.
I think this is great advice. Sometimes, you can get so caught up in trying to remember ideas that it distracts you from coming up with something that could be better. I use the voice recorder on my phone as a tool. It's surprising how many times when I'm sitting in traffic or out for a walk that things come to mind.
I keep a pen and pieces of scrap paper in my bedside cabinet. Always handy to have when you think of an idea while dropping off to sleep. And I agree with Cephus - a phone is a great tool, especially when you’re out and about and don’t have a pen and paper to hand. I send text messages to myself with ideas and notes.
The fact that i can't do anything about whats forgotten helps me. It'd be backwards progress to get stagnated. Just accept the fact you forgot and write.
Well. I use my phone to write down ideas as soon as they come to my mind so I never forget them. Ideas come only once and if we forget them they don’t come again instead new ideas come and we have to move on. I use cloud-based notes app on my phone. Then, whenever I get time for writing, I just open up my laptop and start writing. I found it helpful to take notes of my ideas and outline the main key points on the phone when I get ideas of what to write about. The main thing with ideas is that, most of beautiful ideas come to our minds when we are busy and don’t have time to write, while normal ideas come to our minds when we have time and really want to write. That’s why, we really need to keep them before we lose them.
