Every now and then we have dreams that could be good inspiration for a short story or novel. However dreams, like all thoughts, are fleeting. These inspirations must be written down immediately in a writer’s notebook, in as much detail as possible.

When we get to the point where we’re ready to decide on a new writing project, looking through our notebooks we may come across these notations. They will stir within us the emotions that caused this dream to occur, and should we choose to make this our next writing project, we’ll be assisted by the subconscious pulling us deep into the inner workings of the story line, teaching us more of what we were meant to learn.

Do not worry if your writing doesn’t closely match the exact dream as you remember it. There are many details you may have forgotten; that will be worked out as the story patterns itself after the dream.

Next time you’re stuck for something to write about, think about a dream you’ve had, and use that to jumpstart your imagination.

Lately I’ve been running from work to appointments, to errands, to classes. Where has my writing time gone? When I sit at my computer a thousand tasks confront me. Seems like the workload has increased while my time decreased.

The only way to find time to write is to do it. Rather than sitting here today, stressing about how little time I have for sharing my thoughts, I’ve taken decisive action. I wrote the first sentence. And sometimes that’s the hardest part of writing. Once the first sentence is in print, it leads naturally to the next.

Writing flows from thought to thought, from action to reaction. And there is always time for writing, hidden between the many demands of stressful modern living. A few paragraphs here, half a chapter there – and it adds up.

There’s nothing so stressful as not writing. Stop and think about it. If you don’t write, then you’re stressed about wanting to do it and not getting it done. But if you do write, you feel great. You don’t need to pat yourself on the back because the written words did it for you. You want to shout, call out, and tell people, “I wrote something today! I succeeded!”

One of my best tools for finding time to write when it seems like there’s no time at all, is my notebook. I always have some kind of journal notebook going. I can carry the notebook with me anywhere – to the doctor’s office, to the laundromat, or to a picnic table near the river. For years I’ve been writing in them, recording the details of my daily life. And when I have article ideas, I often write them in the notebook first, in longhand. Sometimes it helps to get away from the computer and think about what I really want to say. Then by the time I’m ready to type the article into the computer, I know my angle and can present it with clarity and brevity.

If you’re a busy person, like I am, write when you can. Don’t think about doing it…. just DO it. Write that first sentence. Let words flow out of you. Keep your inspirations flowing. It doesn’t matter if you have five minutes to write, or fifty. When you use your time to write, every minute is a victory.