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The Forge

Taking an idea and turning it into something real is what creative people do. Art, music, books, fashion, film -- they're all the products of the mind. We imagine something, and we bring that to the forge of our talents and materials and work it until we can express it through a sensory creation. Whether we're writing a novel series or knitting a pair of socks for grandmother, it all comes from the same place inside us.

Some of the ideas I've had this month can be distilled down into one word: bookworlds, dreamery, nagusame, rosegirl, shadowz. It's not always possible to condense an idea this way, but I try to use keywords to tag the idea in my head for easy future reference.

Is there such a thing as too many ideas? I'm not sure. I've never gone more than a few days without having a new one pop into my head. I think it's more about idea management. I can't work on everything I want to do at the same time because I'd never finish anything. Instead, I give priority to the strongest and clearest ideas and work on as many as I feel that I can manage each day. Usually that's two or three. The rest I record in my desk journal or outline and then set aside.

Sometimes an idea that starts out strong dwindles or fades as I work it. When I feel certain I won't be able to see it through to completion I will set it aside. Often I go back later, look it over and try again. Two years ago I spent six months forging a strong idea, lost confidence in it, but was able to pick it up again and finish after taking a break for a few months. The end result turned out beautiful, too.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

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