Monday, May 7, 2012

When Inspiration Knocks


I write in my sleep.

And when I awake, I think in paragraphs.

For I'm a writer, an observer of the world. Though I carve out time daily to scratch out my thoughts, inspiration knocks at the most unexpected times.

palazzo alberini knocker

I hear the rap when I'm peeling potatoes, boiling eggs, spooning mushy carrots into my baby, or telling my preschooler to eat his broccoli. At those moments, I search for bits of paper. Anything. Even a crumpled napkin will do. I must answer the door even if water spills over or the kitchen is left amiss.

Inspiration enters when I'm plucking tomatoes from my garden, folding laundry, driving to play date, or seeping tea for my hubby. And sometimes the tea never makes it to the table, because the idea speaks louder than the whistling kettle.

When I rest my head on my pillow, a light bulb illuminates my mind. I've got the answer to my protagonist's dilemma. I know if I roll over, or push the muse away, I'll lose the thought. My hero will die. So, I ransack the room for a journal. A writing instrument.

And where are the pens when I'm in dire need?

Oh, I love to bake, put meals on the table, and spend time with loved ones. And if you come over, I'll even make tea.

But, if a sliver of light falls on your cheek, forgive me if I ask you for the back of the receipt in your pocket or purse.

For I'm a scribe.

And when inspiration knocks, I'm compelled to answer.

When does inspiration knock for you? Do you answer? When do you get your best writing ideas?

*this post first appeared on Hoosier Ink, August, 2011


Melanie N. Brasher is a full time mama of two boys and wife to an incredible husband who understands her bicultural background. She moonlights as a fiction and freelance writer, crafting stories and articles toward justice and change. She's a member of American Christian Fiction writers and a contributing blogger for Ungrind & Hoosier Ink. Though she's an aspiring author, she'll never quit her day job.

3 comments:

  1. If only inspiration struck that often. :-) I second your comment re writing it down. I've had some brilliant ideas that I promised myself I'd remember only to have them flee like morning mist. I guess the techis among us always have a smart phone or an ipad handy to jot down random thoughts but for me it's a little notebook that tucks in my purse. Best writing time? I sound like a broken record, but I love to do first draft in a coffee shop. All that white noise and commotion gets the brain cells working. Plus, I write it in longhand -- just like in school.

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  2. Hey Alice,

    Yes, I'm still the pen and paper gal too. :) Thanks for leaving your thoughts. :)

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  3. This is so beautiful - and so true!

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