If You Let Them, They Will Come

Also titled, let your ideas come from where they may.

As writers; well, for those of us who announce the fact that we are writers, we often get asked: "Where do you get your ideas?"

Often, if asked this question, many of us mutter something indistinct as the audience or individual wait expectantly for some brilliant never before heard, oh so inspirational, mind-blowing secret. But really, there isn't one. We know that. The blood, sweat and tears that have poured over the years, or even weeks, we have been writing prove that.

However, that doesn't mean that ideas just come to us out of the ether. We have to work at them. Sometimes, there is some inspiration. When that moment comes, savor it, write it down, and relive it over and over again. It may never happen again.

I have one example that I recall. I will share it here.

I hate Christmas music with a fiery, burning, passion, right? You cannot believe how much I hate Christmas music. I had to listen to it for... oh... six weeks? From the first week into November until after Christmas. Living. Hell.

However, I went with the flow. Whatever, right? If you can't change it, don't gripe. Well, I did gripe, but I learned to deal with it. What was more amusing were the people who would rave about the music day after day and never learned to deal, but I digress.

What does this have to do with inspirational ideas? Well, the song 'Do You Hear What I Hear?' got me thinking one day.

I actually stopped and typed out a note in my phone. At work. It was that... Well not necessarily big, but I didn't want to forget it.

This is what that message in my phone reads- "Xmas inspired story - 'shepard boy' dreams become real. Dreamy something about kings illegit son. Thrown out after that. King hires ppl to kill the prophet/godson the boy tells him of. Psychic"

That's it. Now. I transferred this to my Ideas Notebook and expounded upon it.

In my book, it's simply titled "Book Idea"

The entry goes as follows.

Based on Inspired by song Do you hear what I hear? 

In the song, the Shepard Boy speaks to the King about Jesus and the King takes him at his word. 

But would he (the King) really take the boy's words as truth?
The way I see it, he wouldn't. 

What would happen if Jesus, or another equivalent prophet/son of god, didn't get that help and grew up not knowing? Perhaps with people of the king after him? 

SB (here meaning Shepard Boy) psychic. "What I dream comes true."
SB starts saying something about Kings son. (illegitimate son)

Now, I really like this idea, and think I might use it at some point.

Will it have any resemblance to the song when I'm finished? No. Not at all.
Does that matter? Nope. In fact, it's better if the finish project doesn't look like what inspired it.

Let your ideas come naturally. You don't have to use them, and some will be horrible. Some, you may not realize are horrible until you begin writing/using them. Don't let this discourage you.

With an open heart and an open mind.

Take Care!

~Cheyenne