18 March 2008

Drive-By Writing


If you're a writer, you are probably familiar with the tendency to try to write ideas down while driving. I seem to get my best ideas when I'm driving, and it's the most inopportune moment to do it. Surprisingly, I don't always have a pen handy. That's why I bought one of those key chain attachable sharpie markers...

But then there's not always paper. I know this sounds crazy for a voluminous writer like myself not to have paper and pen....there were times when an idea was so good, I considered to pricking my finger and writing it in blood. That would be a blood-blog.

Today, for example, I was writing not only on envelope, but on the back of the cardboard box the envelopes came in. And periodically honking the horn, because I was using my steering wheel as a desk.
It got so that
every time I thought of something, I felt it might be prudent to just pull over. But with all the ideas I had today, I would have never reached my destination....which, paradoxically, was the office supply store to buy pens and paper.

Then, when I got home, I was burdened with the challenge of
deciphering what looks like hieroglyphs on the cardboard.

Years ago, when I did quite a bit more driving than I do now, I used to use a tape recorder. I suppose I'll have to go back to that. Writing things down is just too frustrating, and things I intend to save may be lost because I can't read it. Never mind the lives I might endanger.

I can see the headlines now:
Local Author Burns a Swath Through the Median while Honoring Her Muse.

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For more of those ideas I had while driving, see Remote Control Yourself and Texting, Texting, One Two, 9...Oops at my other blog.


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